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Defense of a Modest Scientific Realism

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Knowledge and the World: Challenges Beyond the Science Wars

Part of the book series: The Frontiers Collection ((FRONTCOLL))

Abstract

We examine some basic epistemological problems (notably the underde-termination of theory by evidence) and discuss the difficulties faced by both realism and instrumentalism. We also offer some brief comments on radical relativism and radical redefinitions of truth. We conclude by sketching what seems to us to be a defensible modest realism, and we point out its relation with the picture of the world provided by the renormalization group in physics.

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Authors
  1. Alan Sokal
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  2. Jean Bricmont
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Fakultät für Geschichtswissenschaft, Philosophie und Theologie, Abteilung Philosophie, Universität Bielefeld, Postfach 100131, 33501, Bielefeld, Germany

    Martin Carrier

  2. Zentrum für interdisziplinäre Forschung, Universität Bielefeld, Wellenberg 1, 33615, Bielefeld, Germany

    Johannes Roggenhofer

  3. Institut für Wissenschafts- und Technikforschung, Universität Bielefeld, Postfach 100131, 33501, Bielefeld, Germany

    Günter Küppers

  4. Fakultät für Physik, Forschungszentrum BiBoS, Universität Bielefeld, Postfach 100131, 33501, Bielefeld, Germany

    Philippe Blanchard

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Sokal, A., Bricmont, J. (2004). Defense of a Modest Scientific Realism. In: Carrier, M., Roggenhofer, J., Küppers, G., Blanchard, P. (eds) Knowledge and the World: Challenges Beyond the Science Wars. The Frontiers Collection. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-08129-7_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-08129-7_2

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-05905-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-662-08129-7

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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