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A Contextual Concept of Science
A Contextual Concept of Science

Author(s): Sumei Cheng
Subject(s): History of Philosophy, Epistemology, Philosophy of Science
Published by: Tallinna Tehnikaülikooli õiguse instituut
Keywords: concept of science; contextualism; metaphor; realism;

Summary/Abstract: The contextual concept of science regards a scientific theory as a whole simulation for the mechanism of natural world under the given context. It argues that a scientific theory is to understand the reality only in the sense of intentionality in the process of reality simulation, rather than to describe reality in the sense of one-to-one correspondence. This concept of understanding reality is totally different from that of describing reality.Compared with the realist approaches and the anti-realist approach, the contextual approach has the following advantages: (1) it contributes to bridge the communication between the preachers of scientism and the humanists;(2) it has helped to solve the problem of underdetermination faced by scientific realism; (3) it is relatively easy to understand the correction about the concept and theory; (4) it could reflect the true process of science more properly. Therefore, it is a more promising and convincing new perspective to understand science.

  • Issue Year: 4/2016
  • Issue No: 2
  • Page Range: 53-68
  • Page Count: 16
  • Language: English