02.01 What Kind of Realism? – Beyond Networks: The Evolution of Living Systems
Channel: Johannes Jaeger
Date: 2020-04-21

Module 2 of "Beyond Networks" introduces the philosophy of scientific perspectivism (or perspectival realism). This first lecture critically examines the idea that scientific knowledge steadily approaches an accurate and complete understanding of an independent reality (objectivist realism). It looks at the uncertainty that is an essential part of falsifiable scientific claims. We quickly cover the history-dependence of scientific knowledge and also constructivism, to appreciate the fact that scientific knowledge is a social construct after all. Towards the end of the lecture, I introduce perspectivism as a middle way between the mutually exclusive views of objectivist realism and social constructivism. Perspectival realism combines the notion of a reality that is independent of our minds, and our inability to "step out of our own heads," or to assume a God's-eye perspective of the world that transcends our limitations as human beings.

Ron Giere's books is entitled "Scientific Perspectivism." It was published in 2006 with the University of Chicago Press.

My description of the three problems with certain empirical knowledge closely follows the corresponding chapter of the excellent introduction to the history and the philosophy of science by Barseghyan, Overgaard & Rupik. It is available online for free at: http://hakobsandbox.openetext.utoronto.ca. Highly recommended!