The world, including the past is difficult to know, and requires discipline Feder raises the issue of deconstructionists, and in some ways it is a phony issue. Science is a western way of knowing the world, and it is perhaps the west's greatest contribution. It allows the substantial understandings of the world. The issue is phony because, it science is human form of knowledge, and it has its biases. Truth and validity are not the same thing, as Feder implies.
Validity is contextual.
Validity says that a way of knowing produces consistent results. But the kinds of questions it asks are very different. Truth is also contextual, but requires substantial assessment of values. Science takes a different approach and is material in its orientation. The need for evidence is crucial, and it is not just any evidence, but evidence that is replicable by others.