ABSTRACT
What is the nature of scientific progress and what makes it possible? When we look back at the scientific theories of the past and compare them to the state of science today, there seems little doubt that we have made progress. But is it a continuous process which gradually incorporates past successes into present theories, or are entrenched theories overthrown by superior competitors in a revolutionary manner?
Theories of Scientific Progress is the ideal introduction to this topic. It is clearly organized, with suggestions for further reading that point the way to both primary texts and secondary literature. It will be essential reading for students of the history and philosophy of science.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
chapter |4 pages
INTRODUCTION
part |2 pages
PART I Progress as incorporation
chapter |10 pages
Whewell’s “tributary–river” image of scientific progress
chapter |2 pages
Brewster on how not to do history of science
chapter |9 pages
Mill’s objections to Whewell’s historicism
chapter |10 pages
Progress through reduction
chapter |13 pages
Lakatos’ version of the “progress is incorporation” thesis
chapter |12 pages
Progress and the asymptotic agreement of calculations
part |2 pages
PART II Progress as revolutionary overthrow
chapter |3 pages
I . B . COHENONTHEIDENTIFIC AT IONOFSCIENTIFICREVOLUTIONS
chapter |5 pages
Kuhn’s taxonomic criterion
chapter |2 pages
Toulmin’s “ideals of natural order”
chapter |1 pages
Ideological upheaval and revolutionary change
chapter |6 pages
Kuhn’s three-beat pattern
chapter |6 pages
Laudan’s reticulational model of scientific change
chapter |7 pages
Popper on progress through overthrow-with-incorporation
part |2 pages
PART III Descriptive theories of scientific progress