The Past, Present, and Future of Integrated History and Philosophy of Science (History and Philosophy of Technoscience) by unknow

Author:unknow
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Nonfiction, Science & Nature, Technology, Social Aspects, Science, Other Sciences, Philosophy & Social Aspects, History
ISBN: 9781351214803
Amazon: B07RVD5QPL
Goodreads: 45862175
Publisher: Taylor and Francis
Published: 2019-05-14T04:00:00+00:00

Conclusion: new tools for iHPS

This chapter shows that within the tradition of French epistemology and its critics, a very specific integration between science and philosophy is conceptualised, a relationship wherein any form of primacy of philosophical speculation over scientific practices is fiercely disputed. Rather, the idea is that scientific practices produce their own philosophical categories and thus a primacy of science over philosophy. The task of French epistemologists has been, therefore, to start from these elements, instead of dictating what is philosophically relevant to science. At the same time, it was made clear that a constant struggle in French epistemology remains present, where this primacy of science conflicts with the normative ambitions of French epistemologists.

This conflict was mainly shown through the work of Bachelard, creating a tension between his surrationalism and his obligation to judge the history of science. This is precisely the object of the critique of contemporary authors such as Serres, Latour and Stengers. However, their criticisms are not a dismissal of French epistemology, but can be understood as a particular radicalisation of this primacy of science over philosophy. Bachelard and others were not wrong in their objectives, but failed to follow them the whole way through – there were still traces of philosophical a prioris in their work, resulting in the endorsements of certain political projects related to the social status of science. In that sense, the first conclusion is that to speak of a radical break between these two traditions is false. Rather one must speak of a radicalisation or a revision of the ‘primacy of science’.

This chapter, however, aimed for more than a historical overview of recent developments within Francophone philosophy of science. It precisely aimed to highlight possible productive tools for contemporary discussions of how PS and HS should be integrated. First, the principle of the primacy of science embodies the ‘hermeneutical’ perspective called for by contemporary authors such as Schickore. This essential principle of French epistemology can thus offer guidance of how such a hermeneutically-inspired iHPS should be pursued.

Secondly, this chapter addressed the question of normativity, central to many discussions in iHPS. How can a descriptive HS and a normative PS be combined? Rather than giving up any normative ambitions, French epistemology indicates several avenues through which normative elements still play a role. Not only is the ‘obligation to judge’ the past from the present, embodied in the work of Bachelard and Canguilhem, worth discussing, but the particular project of ‘judging obligations’, found in the work of Stengers, offers a similarly promising avenue for a normative iHPS.

From this perspective, there is room in iHPS for normative judgements about scientific practices. Not only in the activity of conceptually separating the obligations from their requirements, but even in a critical evaluation of the history of these obligations. Either iHPS can have the task of showing how certain obligations are under threat by developments within society, such as the rise of the contemporary knowledge economy and its focus on applications and economic gain. Or, iHPS can

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