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"Scientific Rationality and Methodological Change: A Critical Examination of Some Recent Attempts to Naturalize Methodology11 By Kolapo Ogunniyi Abimbola (London School of Economics and Political Science) Submitted in August 1993 to the University of London for the Degree of Ph.D in Philosophy of Science UMI Number: U055801 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. Dissertation Publishing UMI U055801 Published by ProQuest LLC 2014. Copyright in the Dissertation held by the Author. Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. ProQuest LLC 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 Abstract Following the work of Popper and especially of Kuhn in the 1960s, the attention of philosophers of science has been very much concentrated onchange in science. Popper’s picture was of constant change ("revolution in permanence") at the level of scientific theories, but constant change in accordance with fixed methodological standards of evaluation. Drawing on Kuhn’s work, however, many recent philosophers of science have held that the phenomenon of scientific change is much more radical and far-reaching than anything allowed by Popper: specifically, that there have been major changes in methodological standards during the history of science alongside changes in accepted fundamental theory. The chief problem facing this no-invariant-methodology thesis is that it seems to inevitably entail relativism. If the methods and principles of scientific theory appraisal are subject to radical change, then competing theories or research traditions may uphold competing (or conflicting) methodologies. When methodologies do conflict, how can choice between competing theories or research traditions be rationally adjudicated? How can the methods and principles for the correct appraisal of scientific theories themselves evolve rationally? Two major attempts have been made in the recent literature to construct positions which accommodate change in methodological standards while nonetheless avoiding relativism. These are the versions ofmethodological naturalism developed by Larry Laudan and Dudley Shapere, respectively. This dissertation examines these two positions in detail and argues that they fail: in so far as they really incorporate the no-invariant- methodology thesis they inevitably embrace relativism. I argue that the way to resolve this difficulty is to reject the no-invariant-methodology thesis. Moreover, methodological naturalists (like Laudan and Shapere) have not succeeded in giving any genuine and convincing illustration ofradical methodological change. 3 Contents A b stract ............................................................................................................................... 2 CHAPTER 1 METHODOLOGICAL NATURALISM ............................................ 7 1. Introductory remarks ....................................................................................... 7 2. Methodology and scientific change ............................................................ 10 3. The no-invariant-methodology thesis ............................................................ 19 CHAPTER 2 SHAPERE’S BOOTSTRAPPISM ...................................................... 24 1. The character of scientific change ........................................... ................... 24 2. Science and its developm ent ........................................................................... 30 3. Two senses of methodology . .................................................................. 55 4. Methodological relativism ............................................................................. 71 5. The weakness of bootstrappism...................................................................... 86 6. Concluding remarks ............................................................................................. 90 CHAPTER 3 LAUDAN’S NORMATIVE NATURALISM ......... 92 1. Introduction ..........................................................................................................92 2. The reticulated model of scientific rationality .................... 92 3. From reticulation to normative naturalism.......................................................105 4. Are methodologies adequately justified instrumentally? ..............................115 5. How instrumental is rationality? ......................................................................121 6. Why normative naturalism fails to provide a rational explanation of scientific ch an g e....................................... 138 7. Concluding remarks ......................................................................................... 143 4 CHAPTER 4 THE 19th CENTURY REVOLUTION IN OPTICS .................................................................... 145 1. Laudan on the methodology of lig h t.................................................... 145 2. David B rew ster ........................... 158 3. Thomas R eid ....................................................................................................... 165 4. Relativism and reticulational reconstructions .....................................174 5. Conclusions ....................................................................................................... 179 CHAPTER 5 GENERAL CONCLUSIONS: THE THESIS SET IN C O N T E X T ........................................................................................... 184 Appendix Relativism D efined.........................................................................................193 References .........................................................................................................................198 5 Acknowledgement Supervisors are habitually thanked for performing their duties. My appreciation and gratitude to Dr. John Worrall for his supervision of this dissertation is of no habitual kind. I deeply cherish his excellent guidance and genuine desire to see my ideas develop. I can only hope to have acquired some of his distinctive acumen: namely, a deep, thorough and clear grasp of philosophical issues. To my colleague (and one-time teacher), Dr. Dipo Fashino, I own the gratitude of the best "introduction" to issues in the history and philosophy of science. No doubt his lectures and seminars at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ife, have saved me from some egregious mistakes. I also thank Michael Dash heartily for our numerous methodological conversations at the Brunch Bowl. To my family (the trio that matter most) goes indebtedness of a unique type: my son Ayo, for bearing to be so far away for so long; my younger son, Wande, for a most timely arrival; and my wife Temilade, for steadfastly remaining "my crown". The three are treasured and are in part responsible for the successful completion of this thesis which is dedicated to my mother, Felicia Q. Abimbola, and my father, ’Wande Abimbola. 6 CHAPTER 1 Methodological Naturalism 1. INTRODUCTORY REMARKS In this dissertation, I critically assess one version of the move to make methodology more informed by empirical considerations and the workings of science- namely the naturalist approach to the study of scientific methodology. Like most ...isms, there are so many different versions ofnaturalism that it is essential to state precisely the version of it I examine. My subject is a variety of naturalism concerned with the status and validity of the methods that are used (or that ought to be used1) for the adjudication of scientific theories. This version of naturalism is primarily epistemological (not metaphysical). Philip Kitcher describes the general thesis of epistemological naturalism as follows: Naturalistic epistemology confronts a range of traditional questions: What is 'Philosophers have often debated the issue of whether a naturalist philosophy can give normative advice on which methods scientists should adopt. I will not consider this issue for two reasons. First, the issue has often been confused with that of whether an ought (normative or prescriptive advice) can be derived from an is (a mere description of the methods actually employed in scientific practice). But, of course, a naturalist need not claim that he derives his methodological postulates from descriptions of scientific practice. Rather, the claim could be that from a description of the actual methods used by scientists, we can construct a philosophical thesis which also gives normative advice on which methods scientists ought to employ. So even if an ought cannot be derived from an is, the naturalist need not abstain from giving normative advice. Moreover, the naturalists I consider in this dissertation do not shy away from giving normative or prescriptive advice. I will not, therefore, examine the naturalism of philosophers like R.N. Giere and W.V.O. Quine. 7 Methodological naturalism knowledge? What kinds of knowledge (if any) are possible? What methods should we use for attaining knowledge, or at least, for improving the epistemic qualities of our beliefs? Because the sciences appear to be shining exemplars of human knowledge, the pursuit of these questions leads easily into the philosophy of science.
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