Showing papers on "Great Rationality Debate published in 1985"
TL;DR: The traditional view of science as the possessor of a special method, and as the epitome or apex of rationality, has come under severe challenges for a variety of historical, psychological, sociological, political, and philosophical reasons as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: The traditional views of science as the possessor of a special method, and as the epitome or apex of rationality, have come under severe challenges for a variety of historical, psychological, sociological, political, and philosophical reasons. As a result, many philosophers are either denying science its claim to rationality, or else casting about for a new account of its rationality. In this paper a defense of the traditional view is offered. It is argued that contemporary philosophical discussion regarding the rationality of science is plagued by a failure to distinguish among three different questions, all taken to be "the" question of the rationality of science. Once these questions are delineated, it becomes possible to answer one of them in such a way that the traditional link between science's rationality and its method is reestablished--although the scientific method is itself given a non-traditional rendering. In short, it is argued that there is a feature of science which is appropriately charac...
65 citations
TL;DR: For example, the authors suggests that those who believe in a universal form of rationality more fundamentally are expressing a desire for the creation of a foolproof method in geography, one based in part on a deep-seated but unquestioned belief in progress.
10 citations