Alan C. Love (Editor). Conceptual Change in Biology: Scientific and Philosophical Perspectives on Evolution and Development. (Boston Studies in the Philosophy and History of Science, 307.) xviii + 490 pp., figs., tables, bibls., index. Dordrecht: Springer, 2015. $179 (cloth).

Isis ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 108 (3) ◽  
pp. 747-748
Author(s):  
B. R. Erick Peirson
Keyword(s):  
Conceptual Change ◽  
History Of Science ◽  
Evolution And Development ◽  
History Of

scholarly journals Engaging philosophically with the history of science: two challenges for scientific realism

2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 35
Author(s):  
Theodore Arabatzis
Keyword(s):  
Conceptual Change ◽  
History Of Science ◽  
Scientific Realism ◽  
Scientific Practice ◽  
Common Type ◽  
Scientific Concepts ◽  
Change Over Time ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Stability ◽  
Over Time

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

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document