ABSTRACT

Scientific realism is the optimistic view that modern science is on the right track: that the world really is the way our best scientific theories describe it . In his book, Stathis Psillos gives us a detailed and comprehensive study which restores the intuitive plausibility of scientific realism. We see that throughout the twentieth century, scientific realism has been challenged by philosophical positions from all angles: from reductive empiricism, to instrumentalism and to modern sceptical empiricism.
Scientific Realism explains that the history of science does not undermine the arguments for scientific realism, but instead makes it reasonable to accept scientific realism as the best philosophical account of science, its empirical success, its progress and its practice.
Anyone wishing to gain a deeper understanding of the state of modern science and why scientific realism is plausible, should read this book.

part |1 pages

Part I Empiricism and the realist turn

chapter 1|13 pages

Empiricism and theoretical discourse

chapter 2|23 pages

Theories as instruments?

chapter 3|30 pages

Carnap’s neutralism

chapter 4|27 pages

In defence of scientific realism

part |1 pages

Part II Sceptical challenges

chapter 5|14 pages

Resisting the pessimistic induction

chapter 6|30 pages

Historical illustrations

chapter 7|16 pages

Worrall’s structural realism

chapter 8|21 pages

Underdetermination undermined

part |1 pages

Part III Recent alternatives to realism

chapter 9|42 pages

Constructive empiricism scrutinised

chapter 10|31 pages

NOA, cognitive perfection and entity realism

part |1 pages

Part IV Refilling the realist toolbox

chapter 11|18 pages

Truth-likeness

chapter 12|20 pages

Reference of theoretical terms