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Engaging Philosophically with the History of Science: Two Challenges for Scientific Realism.

Citation:

Arabatzis T. Engaging Philosophically with the History of Science: Two Challenges for Scientific Realism. Spontaneous Generations: A Journal for the History and Philosophy of Science [Internet]. 2018;9(1):35-37.
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Abstract:

I raise two challenges for scientific realists. The first is a pessimistic meta-induction (PMI), but not of the more common type, which focuses on rejected theories and abandoned entities. Rather, the PMI I have in mind departs from conceptual change, which is ubiquitous in science. Scientific concepts change over time, often to a degree that is difficult to square with the stability of their referents, a sine qua non for realists. The second challenge is to make sense of successful scientific practice that was centered on entities that have turned out to be fictitious.

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