ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the way in which philosophy of science constructs a key debate in sustainability science, showing how philosophy of science can thereby become a problematic heritage. Sustainability science has become a recognizable domain of scientific funding. Two notable examples are the program Forschung fur Nachhaltigkeit, funded by the German Ministry of Education and Research, and the Science and Technology for Sustainability Program of the National Academies in the United States. The chapter examines key features of the projects and research activities of sustainability science, these features define our working concept of 'sustainability science' or 'science for sustainable development'. Weak sustainability (WS) in Neumayer's definition requires 'keeping total net investment, suitably defined to encompass all relevant forms of capital, above zero'. The relevance of philosophy of science for the way questions are asked in sustainability science can be demonstrated via the discussion of weak and strong sustainability. The chapter focuses on Eric Neumayer's seminal contribution to this debate.
