Pierre Duhem’s good sense as a guide to theory choice

Ivanova, Milena

doi:10.1016/j.shpsa.2009.12.009

Cited by 43 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…Stump's reconstruction of Duhem's notion of 'good sense ' (2007) was the first attempt to connect philosophy of science and virtue epistemology. His article continues to fuel philosophical debate (Ivanova 2010(Ivanova , 2011Kidd 2011;Fairweather 2012;Ivanova & Paternotte 2013) about what virtues are necessary for excellence in science.…”

Section: Virtue Epistemology and Scientific Epistemologymentioning

confidence: 99%

Docility as a Primary Virtue in Scientific Research

Bezuidenhout

Ratti

Warne

et al. 2018

Minerva

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Scientific epistemology is a topic that has sparked centuries of philosophical discourse. In particular, understanding the role that scientists play in the creation and perpetuation of scientific knowledge is a subject that continues to be hotly debated. A relative new-comer to scientific epistemology is the field of virtue epistemology, which positions knowledge creation as integrally linked to specific character traits held by the scientist. Positioning scientific research as a distinct practice, virtue epistemologists strive to understand what virtues foster robust knowledge creation. Examinations of current scientific virtue epistemology, however, reveal how framings of ''the scientist'' tend to be highly individualistic and position the individual scientist as an actor with a high level of agency and autonomy. Such approaches, while following more conventional scientific epistemology discourse, contrast significantly with a growing body of social science literature that emphasizes the group nature of scientific research and education. This paper makes use of this social science literature to critically examine current deficits in narratives of scientific virtue epistemology. It highlights the need for the prioritization of virtues that enable scientists to work and learn in social environments through social processes. In particular, it discusses how the virtue of docility, best understood as being ''open to learning'', is a key virtue for training new scientists and for establishing robust processes of knowledge creation. By identifying current deficits in the manner in which science is taught, it demonstrates the considerable epistemic consequences of training scientists who do not embody docility in all aspects of their research activities. The paper concludes by discussing how docility may be considered a key factor in an alternate understanding of the current reproducibility crisis in modern science.

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Section: Virtue Epistemology and Scientific Epistemologymentioning

confidence: 99%

Docility as a Primary Virtue in Scientific Research

Bezuidenhout

Ratti

Warne

et al. 2018

Minerva

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“…Just like David Hume, Duhem appeals to the good sense of scientists who can appreciate the aesthetic properties of theories in an unbiased and impartial way and reach a conclusive choice (Duhem, , p. 218). For Duhem, it is good sense that ensures that despite the subjective nature of aesthetic judgments, scientists with good sense can come to an objective agreement about the aesthetic merit of theories (Ivanova, , , ; Stump, ).…”

Section: Aesthetic Judgment In Sciencementioning

confidence: 99%

Aesthetic values in science

Ivanova

2017

Philosophy Compass

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Scientists often use aesthetic values in the evaluation and choice of theories. Aesthetic values are not only regarded as leading to practically more useful theories but are often taken to stand in a special epistemic relation to the truth of a theory such that the aesthetic merit of a theory is evidence of its truth. This paper explores what aesthetic considerations influence scientists' reasoning, how such aesthetic values relate to the utility of a scientific theory, and how one can justify the epistemic role for such values. The paper examines ways in which the link between beauty and truth can be defended, the challenges facing such accounts, and explores alternative epistemic roles for aesthetic values in scientific practice.

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“…However, a more convincing interpretation is to take the argument to establish that geometry by itself makes no empirical predictions, that 8 Stump (2007) and Fairweather (2012) argue that because of his appeal to moral virtues, Duhem's notion can be understood as a form of virtue epistemology. Ivanova (2010) develops objections to these readings and offers an alternative account that she takes to fit better with Duhem's general epistemology of science. 9 Ivanova (2010) develops objections to Duhem's notion by arguing that good sense can justify a preference for a theory only retrospective, after new evidence has supported the theory, which makes the notion redundant.…”

Section: Geometric Underdetermination Conventions and Epistemic Virtuesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Conventionalism about what? Where Duhem and Poincaré part ways

Ivanova

2015

Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part A

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This paper examines whether, and in what contexts, Duhem's and Poincaré's views can be regarded as conventionalist or structural realist. After analysing the three different contexts in which conventionalism is attributed to them -in the context of the aim of science, the underdetermination problem and the epistemological status of certain principles -I show that neither Duhem's nor Poincaré's arguments can be regarded as conventionalist. I argue that Duhem and Poincaré offer different solutions to the problem of theory choice, differ in their stances towards scientific knowledge and the status of scientific principles, making their epistemological claims substantially different.

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Pierre Duhem’s good sense as a guide to theory choice

Cited by 43 publications

References 7 publications

Docility as a Primary Virtue in Scientific Research

Docility as a Primary Virtue in Scientific Research

Aesthetic values in science

Conventionalism about what? Where Duhem and Poincaré part ways

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