fbpx
Wikipedia

Unity of science

January 01, 1970

The unity of science is a thesis in philosophy of science that says that all the sciences form a unified whole. The variants of the thesis can be classified as ontological (giving a unified account of the structure of reality) and/or as epistemic/pragmatic (giving a unified account of how the activities and products of science work).[1] There are also philosophers who emphasize the disunity of science, which does not necessarily imply that there could be no unity in some sense but does emphasize pluralism in the ontology and/or practice of science.[1]

Early versions of the unity of science thesis can be found in ancient Greek philosophers such as Aristotle,[2][3] and in the later history of Western philosophy.[2] For example, in the first half of the 20th century the thesis was associated with the unity of science movement led by Otto Neurath,[4] and in the second half of the century the thesis was advocated by Ludwig von Bertalanffy in "General System Theory: A New Approach to Unity of Science" (1951)[5] and by Paul Oppenheim and Hilary Putnam in "Unity of Science as a Working Hypothesis" (1958).[6] It has been opposed by Jerry Fodor in "Special Sciences (Or: The Disunity of Science as a Working Hypothesis)" (1974),[7] by Paul Feyerabend in Against Method (1975) and later works,[8][9] and by John Dupré in "The Disunity of Science" (1983)[10] and The Disorder of Things: Metaphysical Foundations of the Disunity of Science (1993).[11]

Jean Piaget suggested, in his 1918 book Recherche[12] and later books, that the unity of science can be considered in terms of a circle of the sciences, where logic is the foundation for mathematics, which is the foundation for mechanics and physics, and physics is the foundation for chemistry, which is the foundation for biology, which is the foundation for sociology, the moral sciences, psychology, and the theory of knowledge, and the theory of knowledge forms a basis for logic, completing the circle,[13] without implying that any science could be reduced to any other.[14]

See also edit

Notes edit

  1. ^ a b Tahko 2021, p. 4.
  2. ^ a b Cat 2017.
  3. ^ Wilson 2000.
  4. ^ Symons, Pombo & Torres 2011.
  5. ^ Bertalanffy 1951.
  6. ^ Oppenheim & Putnam 1958.
  7. ^ Fodor 1974.
  8. ^ Feyerabend 1993.
  9. ^ Feyerabend 2011.
  10. ^ Dupré 1983.
  11. ^ Dupré 1993.
  12. ^ Piaget 1918.
  13. ^ Braun & Baribeau 1984.
  14. ^ Kitchener 1981.

References edit

  • Bertalanffy, Ludwig von (December 1951). "General system theory: a new approach to unity of science: 1. Problems of general system theory". Human Biology. 23 (4): 302–312. JSTOR 41448003. PMID 14907026. Bertallanfy's article was part of a section that also included, in response, Carl G. Hempel's "General system theory and the unity of science" (pp. 313–322), Robert E. Bass's "Unity of nature" (pp. 323–327), and Hans Jonas's "Comment on general system theory" (pp. 328–335).
  • Boyd, Richard; Gasper, Philip; Trout, J. D., eds. (1991). The philosophy of science. A Bradford book. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. ISBN 0262023156. OCLC 22597466.
  • Braun, Claude M. J.; Baribeau, Jacinthe M. C. (Summer 1984). "The classification of psychology among the sciences from Francis Bacon to Boniface Kedrov". Journal of Mind and Behavior. 5 (3): 245–259 (252–254). JSTOR 43853037.
  • Cat, Jordi (2017). "The unity of science". In Zalta, Edward N. (ed.). Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Fall 2017 ed.).
  • Dupré, John (July 1983). "The disunity of science". Mind. 92 (367): 321–346. doi:10.1093/mind/XCII.367.321. JSTOR 2253810.
  • Dupré, John (1993). The disorder of things: metaphysical foundations of the disunity of science. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. ISBN 0674212606. OCLC 25746325.
  • Feyerabend, Paul (1993) [1974]. Against method (3rd ed.). London; New York: Verso. ISBN 086091481X. OCLC 29026104.
  • Feyerabend, Paul (2011). "The disunity of science". The tyranny of science. Cambridge, UK; Malden, MA: Polity Press. pp. 32–63. ISBN 978-0745651897. OCLC 668946683.
  • Fodor, Jerry A. (October 1974). "Special sciences (or: The disunity of science as a working hypothesis)". Synthese. 28 (2): 97–115. doi:10.1007/BF00485230. JSTOR 20114958. S2CID 46979938. Reprinted in Boyd, Gasper & Trout 1991.
  • Kitchener, Richard F. (September 1981). "The nature and scope of genetic epistemology". Philosophy of Science. 48 (3): 400–415 (413). doi:10.1086/289007. JSTOR 186987. S2CID 144785292. Nowhere does Piaget suggest that sociology can be reduced to psychology, but instead refers to 'psycho-sociology'.
  • Oppenheim, Paul; Putnam, Hilary (1958). "Unity of science as a working hypothesis". In Feigl, Herbert (ed.). Concepts, theories and the mind–body problem. Minnesota studies in the philosophy of science. Vol. 2. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press. pp. 3–36. hdl:11299/184622. ISBN 9780816601585. OCLC 2669746. Reprinted in Boyd, Gasper & Trout 1991.
  • Piaget, Jean (1918). Recherche (PDF) (in French). Lausanne: Édition La Concorde. p. 59. OCLC 2565864. (PDF) from the original on 2016-06-29. Retrieved 9 February 2017.
  • Symons, John; Pombo, Olga; Torres, Juan Manuel, eds. (2011). Otto Neurath and the unity of science. Logic, epistemology, and the unity of science. Vol. 18. Dordrecht; New York: Springer-Verlag. doi:10.1007/978-94-007-0143-4. ISBN 9789400701427. OCLC 723045353.
  • Tahko, Tuomas E. (2021). Unity of science. Cambridge elements in the philosophy of science. Cambridge, UK; New York: Cambridge University Press. doi:10.1017/9781108581417. ISBN 9781108713382. OCLC 1204142197.
  • Wilson, Malcolm (2000). Aristotle's theory of the unity of science. Phoenix, supplementary volume. Vol. 38. Toronto: University of Toronto Press. doi:10.3138/9781442670990. ISBN 0802047963. OCLC 43634904.

Further reading edit

External links edit

  • Unity of Science at PhilPapers
  • Guide to the Unity of Science Movement Records 1934–1968 at the University of Chicago Special Collections Research Center


 

This philosophy of science-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

January 01, 1970
unity, science, unity, science, thesis, philosophy, science, that, says, that, sciences, form, unified, whole, variants, thesis, classified, ontological, giving, unified, account, structure, reality, epistemic, pragmatic, giving, unified, account, activities, . The unity of science is a thesis in philosophy of science that says that all the sciences form a unified whole The variants of the thesis can be classified as ontological giving a unified account of the structure of reality and or as epistemic pragmatic giving a unified account of how the activities and products of science work 1 There are also philosophers who emphasize the disunity of science which does not necessarily imply that there could be no unity in some sense but does emphasize pluralism in the ontology and or practice of science 1 Early versions of the unity of science thesis can be found in ancient Greek philosophers such as Aristotle 2 3 and in the later history of Western philosophy 2 For example in the first half of the 20th century the thesis was associated with the unity of science movement led by Otto Neurath 4 and in the second half of the century the thesis was advocated by Ludwig von Bertalanffy in General System Theory A New Approach to Unity of Science 1951 5 and by Paul Oppenheim and Hilary Putnam in Unity of Science as a Working Hypothesis 1958 6 It has been opposed by Jerry Fodor in Special Sciences Or The Disunity of Science as a Working Hypothesis 1974 7 by Paul Feyerabend in Against Method 1975 and later works 8 9 and by John Dupre in The Disunity of Science 1983 10 and The Disorder of Things Metaphysical Foundations of the Disunity of Science 1993 11 Jean Piaget suggested in his 1918 book Recherche 12 and later books that the unity of science can be considered in terms of a circle of the sciences where logic is the foundation for mathematics which is the foundation for mechanics and physics and physics is the foundation for chemistry which is the foundation for biology which is the foundation for sociology the moral sciences psychology and the theory of knowledge and the theory of knowledge forms a basis for logic completing the circle 13 without implying that any science could be reduced to any other 14 See also editConsilience International Encyclopedia of Unified Science Logical positivism Special sciences Stanford School Systems theory Tektology The central science Unified ScienceNotes edit a b Tahko 2021 p 4 a b Cat 2017 Wilson 2000 Symons Pombo amp Torres 2011 Bertalanffy 1951 Oppenheim amp Putnam 1958 Fodor 1974 Feyerabend 1993 Feyerabend 2011 Dupre 1983 Dupre 1993 Piaget 1918 Braun amp Baribeau 1984 Kitchener 1981 References editBertalanffy Ludwig von December 1951 General system theory a new approach to unity of science 1 Problems of general system theory Human Biology 23 4 302 312 JSTOR 41448003 PMID 14907026 Bertallanfy s article was part of a section that also included in response Carl G Hempel s General system theory and the unity of science pp 313 322 Robert E Bass s Unity of nature pp 323 327 and Hans Jonas s Comment on general system theory pp 328 335 Boyd Richard Gasper Philip Trout J D eds 1991 The philosophy of science A Bradford book Cambridge MA MIT Press ISBN 0262023156 OCLC 22597466 Braun Claude M J Baribeau Jacinthe M C Summer 1984 The classification of psychology among the sciences from Francis Bacon to Boniface Kedrov Journal of Mind and Behavior 5 3 245 259 252 254 JSTOR 43853037 Cat Jordi 2017 The unity of science In Zalta Edward N ed Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy Fall 2017 ed Dupre John July 1983 The disunity of science Mind 92 367 321 346 doi 10 1093 mind XCII 367 321 JSTOR 2253810 Dupre John 1993 The disorder of things metaphysical foundations of the disunity of science Cambridge MA Harvard University Press ISBN 0674212606 OCLC 25746325 Feyerabend Paul 1993 1974 Against method 3rd ed London New York Verso ISBN 086091481X OCLC 29026104 Feyerabend Paul 2011 The disunity of science The tyranny of science Cambridge UK Malden MA Polity Press pp 32 63 ISBN 978 0745651897 OCLC 668946683 Fodor Jerry A October 1974 Special sciences or The disunity of science as a working hypothesis Synthese 28 2 97 115 doi 10 1007 BF00485230 JSTOR 20114958 S2CID 46979938 Reprinted in Boyd Gasper amp Trout 1991 Kitchener Richard F September 1981 The nature and scope of genetic epistemology Philosophy of Science 48 3 400 415 413 doi 10 1086 289007 JSTOR 186987 S2CID 144785292 Nowhere does Piaget suggest that sociology can be reduced to psychology but instead refers to psycho sociology Oppenheim Paul Putnam Hilary 1958 Unity of science as a working hypothesis In Feigl Herbert ed Concepts theories and the mind body problem Minnesota studies in the philosophy of science Vol 2 Minneapolis University of Minnesota Press pp 3 36 hdl 11299 184622 ISBN 9780816601585 OCLC 2669746 Reprinted in Boyd Gasper amp Trout 1991 Piaget Jean 1918 Recherche PDF in French Lausanne Edition La Concorde p 59 OCLC 2565864 Archived PDF from the original on 2016 06 29 Retrieved 9 February 2017 Symons John Pombo Olga Torres Juan Manuel eds 2011 Otto Neurath and the unity of science Logic epistemology and the unity of science Vol 18 Dordrecht New York Springer Verlag doi 10 1007 978 94 007 0143 4 ISBN 9789400701427 OCLC 723045353 Tahko Tuomas E 2021 Unity of science Cambridge elements in the philosophy of science Cambridge UK New York Cambridge University Press doi 10 1017 9781108581417 ISBN 9781108713382 OCLC 1204142197 Wilson Malcolm 2000 Aristotle s theory of the unity of science Phoenix supplementary volume Vol 38 Toronto University of Toronto Press doi 10 3138 9781442670990 ISBN 0802047963 OCLC 43634904 Further reading editBunge Mario 2003 Emergence and convergence qualitative novelty and the unity of knowledge Toronto studies in philosophy Toronto University of Toronto Press doi 10 3138 9781442674356 ISBN 0802088600 OCLC 52411064 Galison Peter Stump David J eds 1996 The disunity of science boundaries contexts and power Writing science Stanford CA Stanford University Press ISBN 0804724369 OCLC 32468580 Kincaid Harold 1997 Individualism and the unity of science essays on reduction explanation and the special sciences Worldly philosophy Lanham MD Rowman amp Littlefield ISBN 0847686620 OCLC 36817265 Odum Howard T 1995 Energy systems and the unification of science In Hall Charles A S ed Maximum power the ideas and applications of H T Odum Niwot CO University Press of Colorado pp 365 372 ISBN 0870813625 OCLC 31436211 Pombo Olga Torres Juan Manuel Symons John Rahman Shahid eds 2012 Special sciences and the unity of science Dordrecht New York Springer Verlag doi 10 1007 978 94 007 2030 5 ISBN 9789400720299 Potochnik Angela May 2011 A Neurathian conception of the unity of science PDF Erkenntnis 74 3 305 319 doi 10 1007 s10670 010 9228 0 JSTOR 41476691 S2CID 143918932 Ruphy Stephanie 2016 2013 Scientific pluralism reconsidered a new approach to the dis unity of science Pittsburgh University of Pittsburgh Press ISBN 9780822944584 OCLC 951158157 External links editUnity of Science at PhilPapers Guide to the Unity of Science Movement Records 1934 1968 at the University of Chicago Special Collections Research Center nbsp This philosophy of science related article is a stub You can help Wikipedia by expanding it vte Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Unity of science amp oldid 1184793366, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

article

, read, download, free, free download, mp3, video, mp4, 3gp, jpg, jpeg, gif, png, picture, music, song, movie, book, game, games.