Routledge Scientific Realism: How Science Tracks Truth (Philosophical Issues in Science)

Scientific realism is the optimistic view that modern science is on the right track: that the world really is the way our best scientific theories describe it . In his book, Stathis Psillos gives us a detailed and comprehensive study which restores the intuitive plausibility of scientific realism. We see that throughout the twentieth century, scientific realism has been challenged by philosophical positions from all angles: from reductive empiricism, to instrumentalism and to modern sceptical empiricism.Scientific Realism explains that the history of science does not undermine the arguments for scientific realism, but instead makes it reasonable to accept scientific realism as the best philosophical account of science, its empirical success, its progress and its practice.Anyone wishing to gain a deeper understanding of the state of modern science and why scientific realism is plausible, should read this book. Review 'Philosophers of science have good reason to thank Stathis Psillos for this scholarly volume, which will likely be the definitive work on scientific realism for some time to come.' - Alexander Bird, Ratio Psillos constructed a sustained, instructive, and convincing overall argument for a coherent scientific realism within metaphysical realism. It is a striking feature of his defense that it is truly fair, even-handed, even charitable with respect to the rival positions, while subjecting them to a severe critique. As well as a huge challenge for any empiricist alternative, Psillos presents a challenge to scientific realists, for Psillos’ arguments lead inexorably to the specific scientific realism he presents. In both respects, this book is as topical and relevant and important today as it was at its publication.Bas C. van Fraassen, Metascience