Scientific Method: From Bacon to Popper, The
Philosopher Ian Hacking talks about the impact of Sir Francis Bacon and Karl Popper on scientific inquiry. Ultimately, Professor Hacking concludes, science is neither all theory nor all experiment but, rather, an intimate interaction between what we...
Scientific Theory
Philosopher Stephen Toulmin talks about the difficulty of attempting to force different scientific theories into a single, logically coherent system.
Philosophy and Science
Philosopher W.V. Quine talks about what philosophy means to him and what philosophers do. He states that philosophy is very closely related to science and that there isn't a clear boundary between them.
Science and Human Life
Philosopher Hubert Dreyfus argues that even if scientists come to a clear cosmological understanding of the universe, science can't teach us what kind of thing a human being is or what constitutes a good life.
Scientific Method, The
Philosopher Stephen Toulmin touches on another aspect of philosophy in which there are very different perspectives. In this case, Professor Toulmin notes, it is scientific method which comes into question. He notes that while some believe there is a...
Coherence in the Sciences
Philosopher Stephen Toulmin talks about coherence and science, observing that, while people generally assume that coherence is a virtue in the sciences, there are some problems with this position. The primary difficulty, Professor Toulmin argues, is...
Theoreticians and Experimenters
Philosopher Ian Hacking talks about the differences in approach and skill sets between those who practice science primarily as theoreticians, and others who are primarily experimenters. Professor Hacking points out that theoreticians get most of the...
Sir Francis Bacon And The Case For Curiosity
Philosopher Ian Hacking talks about the contributions of Sir Francis Bacon to scientific inquiry. Professor Hacking notes that while Bacon's approach later came to be viewed as a model for how science should be done, during his lifetime, he didn't a...
History of Scientific Ideas, The
Philosopher Stephen Toulmin talks about the ways in which terminology and meaning change over time in the sciences. He gives the example of Leibniz insisting that "...the processes of the physical world should be mechanical." Professor Toulmin conte...
Mathematics and Change
Philosopher Stephen Toulmin explains that contrary to what many believe, mathematics and mathematical assumptions can change "deeply" over time. Professor Toulmin notes that, "...you will find that, beyond a certain point, the link with what we had ...