Synthese 194 (5) (2017)
Authors |
|
Abstract |
The role intellectual virtues play in scientific inquiry has raised significant discussions in the recent literature. A number of authors have recently explored the link between virtue epistemology and philosophy of science with the aim to show whether epistemic virtues can contribute to the resolution of the problem of theory choice. This paper analyses how intellectual virtues can be beneficial for successful resolution of theory choice. We explore the role of virtues as well as vices in scientific inquiry and their beneficial effects in the context of theory choice. We argue that vices can play a role in widening the set of potential candidate theories and support our claim with historical examples and normative arguments from formal social epistemology. We argue that even though virtues appear to be neither necessary nor sufficient for scientific success, they have a positive effect because they accelerate successful convergence amongst scientists in theory choice situations
|
Keywords | Virtues Vices Theory choice Social epistemology Consensus formation |
Categories | (categorize this paper) |
Reprint years | 2016, 2017 |
DOI | 10.1007/s11229-016-1023-2 |
Options |
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Download options
References found in this work BETA
Science as Social Knowledge: Values and Objectivity in Scientific Inquiry.Helen E. Longino (ed.) - 1990 - Princeton University Press.
A Virtue Epistemology: Apt Belief and Reflective Knowledge.Ernest Sosa - 2007 - Oxford University Press.
The Aim and Structure of Physical Theory.Pierre Maurice Marie Duhem - 1954 - Princeton: Princeton University Press.
View all 70 references / Add more references
Citations of this work BETA
Scientists Are Epistemic Consequentialists About Imagination.Michael T. Stuart - forthcoming - Philosophy of Science.
Mathematical Practice and Epistemic Virtue and Vice.Fenner Stanley Tanswell & Ian James Kidd - 2020 - Synthese 199 (1-2):407-426.
Docility as a Primary Virtue in Scientific Research.Louise Bezuidenhout, Emanuele Ratti, Nathaniel Warne & Dori Beeler - 2019 - Minerva 57 (1):67-84.
A Virtue Epistemological Approach to the Demarcation Problem.Sindhuja Bhakthavatsalam & Weimin Sun - forthcoming - Science & Education.
View all 9 citations / Add more citations
Similar books and articles
Theory Choice, Good Sense and Social Consensus.Milena Ivanova & Cedric Paternotte - 2013 - Erkenntnis 78 (5):1109-1132.
Underdetermination as an Epistemological Test Tube: Expounding Hidden Values of the Scientific Community.Martin Carrier - 2011 - Synthese 180 (2):189 - 204.
Bridging a Fault Line: On Underdetermination and the Ampliative Adequacy of Competing Theories.Guy Axtell - 2014 - In Abrol Fairweather (ed.), Virtue Epistemology Naturalized. Synthese Library. pp. 227-245.
The Virtues of Ingenuity: Reasoning and Arguing Without Bias.Olivier Morin - 2014 - Topoi 33 (2):499-512.
Virtues of Inquiry and the Limits of Reliabilism.George Streeter - 2006 - Social Epistemology 20 (1):117 – 128.
Group Virtues: No Great Leap Forward with Collectivism.Sean Cordell - 2017 - Res Publica 23 (1):43-59.
The Proper Structure of the Intellectual Virtues.Sarah Wright - 2009 - Southern Journal of Philosophy 47 (1):91-112.
Analytics
Added to PP index
2016-02-03
Total views
160 ( #72,161 of 2,499,057 )
Recent downloads (6 months)
7 ( #101,998 of 2,499,057 )
2016-02-03
Total views
160 ( #72,161 of 2,499,057 )
Recent downloads (6 months)
7 ( #101,998 of 2,499,057 )
How can I increase my downloads?
Downloads