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Scientific realism is the position that the aim of science is to advance on truth and increase knowledge about observable and unobservable aspects of the mind-independent world which we inhabit. This book articulates and defends that position.In presenting a clear formulation and addressing the major arguments for scientific realism Sankey appeals to philosophers beyond the community of, typically Anglo-American, analytic philosophers of science to appreciate and understand the doctrine. The book emphasizes the epistemological aspects of scientific realism and contains an original solution to the problem of induction that rests on an appeal to the principle of uniformity of nature.
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SCIENTIFIC REALISM AND THE RATIONALITY OF SCIENCE This page intentionally left blank Scientific Realism and the Rationality of Science HOWARD SANKEY University of Melbourne, Australia © Howard Sankey 2008 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior permission of the publisher. Howard Sankey has asserted his moral right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988, to be identified as the author of this work. Published by Ashgate Publishing Limited Gower House Croft Road Aldershot Hampshire GU11 3HR England Ashgate Publishing Company Suite 420 101 Cherry Street Burlington, VT 05401-4405 USA Ashgate website: http://www.ashgate.com British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data Sankey, Howard Scientific realism and the rationality of science 1. Realism 2. Science – Philosophy I. Title 501 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Sankey, Howard. Scientific realism and the rationality of science / Howard Sankey. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-0-7546-5888-7 (hardcover : alk. paper) 1. Realism. 2. Science—Philosophy. I. Title. Q175.32.R42 S26 2007 501—dc22 2007007959 ISBN 978-0-7546-5888-7 Printed in Great Britain by MPG Books Ltd., Bodmin. Contents Acknowledgements Introduction vii 1 1 Scientific Realism 11 2 The God’s Eye Point of View 31 3 Truth and Entity Realism 43 4 Incommensurability and the Language of Science 53 5 Induction and Natural Kinds 79 6 Methodological Pluralism, Normative Naturalism and the Realist Aim of Science 89 7 Realism, Method and Truth 109 8 Why is it Rational to Believe Scientific Theories are True? 123 Bibliography Index 145 151 This page intentionally left blank Acknowledgements The papers assembled here represent work I have undertaken in recent years on issues relating to scientific realism. While engaged in this work, I have benefited from the support of a number of institutions. The Department of History and Philosophy of Science at the University of Melbourne has provided me with my academic home base throughout the time that I have been engaged on these topics. I was fortunate, once again, to enjoy the hospitality and stimulation of the Center for Philosophy of Science at the University of Pittsburgh, where I held a visiting fellowship during the Fall semester of 1998. On two occasions, in the first half of 1999 and the latter part of 2002, I received a warm reception as Guest Professor at the Center for Philosophy and Ethics of Science at the University of Hanover. One paper even began life while I was still affiliated with the Philosophy Department of Saint David’s University College, Lampeter in 1991. Finishing touches were applied to several of the essays whil