Скачать или смотреть Christopher Pincock: Demopoulos on theories

Abstract: Demopoulos’ On Theories (2022) is a significant reappraisal of the ongoing importance of logical empiricism for the philosophy of science. In this paper I offer a critical reconstruction of how Demopoulos identified the nature and value of scientific theorizing, beginning with his 1985 paper “Russell’s Analysis of Matter” (co-authored with Michael Friedman) and continuing through this posthumously published book. I argue that Demopoulos’ integration of the history and philosophy of science offers an attractive supplement to Friedman’s influential “synthetic” approach. I conclude by considering how we might go on investigating scientific theories with Demopoulos’ and Friedman’s legacies in mind.