Currie, Adrian and Walsh, Kirsten (2018) Frameworks for Historians and Philosophers. [Preprint]

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Abstract

The past can be a stubborn subject: it is complex, heterogeneous and opaque. To understand it, one must decide which aspects of the past to emphasise and which to minimise. Enter frameworks. Frameworks foreground certain aspects of the historical record while backgrounding others. As such, they are both necessary for, and conducive to, good history as well as good philosophy. We examine the role of frameworks in the history and philosophy of science and argue that they are necessary for both forms of enquiry. We then suggest that the right attitude towards frameworks is pluralism rather than monism: there is no single correct framework to be applied to a given scientific episode. Rather, a multitude of different frameworks are more or less appropriate given various contexts and aims. From this perspective, good frameworks generate and further, rather than frustrate, historical and philosophical enquiry. Our view sheds light on historical disagreement, and on the relationship between philosophy and history of science.

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Item Type:	Preprint
Creators:	Creators Email ORCID Currie, Adrian Walsh, Kirsten
Subjects:	General Issues > Explanation General Issues > History of Philosophy of Science General Issues > History of Science Case Studies
Depositing User:	Dr Adrian Currie
Date Deposited:	26 Jun 2018 15:21
Last Modified:	26 Jun 2018 15:21
Item ID:	14820
Subjects:	General Issues > Explanation General Issues > History of Philosophy of Science General Issues > History of Science Case Studies
Date:	2018
URI:	https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/14820

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