Dewey's Philosophy of Science, 1st ed. 2020 Synthese Library Series, Vol. 421

This monograph presents a unitary account of Dewey?s philosophy of science and demonstrates the relevance for contemporary debates. The book is written from a theoretical angle and explains Dewey's via on Experience, Language, Inquiry, Construction and Realism. Via taking this route the book addresses key philosophical problems - such as the nature of language, the idea of experience, the notion of logical constructivism, the criticism of representationalism and the nature of scientific practices.

John Dewey (1859-1952) is one of the most representative philosophers of the United States. He is well known for his work in education, psychology and social reform and one of the primary figures associated with the philosophy of pragmatism. His Philosophy of Science underwent a period of almost total unpopularity and neglect. In recent times, however, as a consequence of the strong pragmatist renaissance we are now witnessing, Dewey?s philosophy of science has attracted new attention. This book presents for the first time a comprehensive overview of Dewey's philosophy of science and will be of interest to scholars working in nineteenth and twentieth century philosophy of science and on the relationship between Pragmatism and Logical Empiricism.

Introduction

Chapter 1. Experience

1.1. The Semantic Identity Thesis

1.2. Experience as Life-Behavior

1.3. Experience as Method

1.4. Forms of Experience

Chapter 2. Language

2.1. Language as Activity: A Shift of Paradigm

2.2. Significance and Meaning

2.3. Semantic Externalism and Practical Agreement

2.4. Dewey’s Pragmatist Account of Concepts

2.5. Common Sense and Scientific Concepts

Chapter 3. Inquiry

3.1. The Biological Basis of Inquiry

3.2. The Internal Conditions of Inquiry

3.3. The Normativity of the Situation

3.4. Truth and Warranted Assertibility

Chapter 4. Construction

4.1. How are Synthetic Judgments Possible?

4.2. The Construction of Evidence

4.3. The Constitutive Function of the A Priori

4.4. The Construction of Objectivity

Chapter 5. Realism

5.1. Reichenbach’s Interpretation and Dewey’s Reply

5.2. Dewey, the Structural Realist

5.3. Is Dewey’s a Structural Realist?

5.4. Dewey’s Expressivist Realism