Check out this symposium from a few years back. INTRODUCTION TO THE SYMPOSIUM (pages 133–137) Leslie Marsh Keywords: category error; creationist science; Stephen Jay Gould; ignoratio elenchi; modality; non-overlapping magisteria; Michael Oakeshott; politics; religion; science Abstract. This paper introduces a symposium discussing Michael Oakeshott’s understanding of the relationship of religion, science and politics. RELIGION AND THE MODE OF…
Michael Lynch plugging his latest book. Age of EnlightenmentAnthony GottliebCivil societyMICHAEL LYNCHPhilosophyPolitical philosophyReasonScience in Society
Philip Kitcher, prominent philosopher of science in The New Republic: The problem with scientism—which is of course not the same thing as science—is owed to a number of sources, and they deserve critical scrutiny. The enthusiasm for natural scientific imperialism rests on five observations. First, there is the sense that the humanities and social sciences…
Staying with the literature theme of a few days ago and earlier today, here is another write up on Jonathan Gottschall’s new book and an article by JG himself here and a related review article of another book by John Gray here. E. O. WilsonJonathan GottschallJonathan HaidtLiteratureNew AtheismSolzhenitsynStorytelling
David Kaiser reviews Michael Polanyi and His Generation: Origins of the Social Construction of Science by Mary Jo Nye. Fifteen years ago, scientists, historians, and sociologists traded salvos in what was termed the “science wars.” Passions ran high; “social construction of science” became a battle cry. Critics like physicist Alan Sokal pointed an accusing finger at…
Alex Rosenberg in the NYT.
Here’s an interview with André Kukla plugging his book (see above) from 2006 (which I’ve only just come across). I know Kukla through his technical philosophical work: two titles remain vivid to me. Social Constructivism and the Philosophy of Science and Studies in Scientific Realism. The former was a well-needed tough-minded antidote to the vulgar relativism…
The program for EPISTEME 2010 is firming up nicely. It’s great to see Martin Kusch finally involved with EPISTEME. Discussants at large include David Bloor – how ecumenical is that? In many ways social epistemology comes home – Edinburgh historically being a hotbed of the Strong Programme – and EPISTEME being published by Edinburgh University…
The recent Zygon symposium on Oakeshott on religion, science and politics is now available as a free download. Click here and scroll down to the REFLECTING ON MICHAEL OAKESHOTT section.
Here is a post on John Wilkins’ Evolving Thoughts bog that picks up on Sahotra Sarkar’s review of Steve Fuller’s latest book in the Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews. The conflict between Fuller and his critics is sure run and run with ever increasing bitterness. A minor point. Sarkar writes that: “He [Fuller] is widely credited…
manwithoutqualities 