History and Philosophy of Science: Development and Challenges

Science as a Social Institution

• Science developed into a social institution during the Enlightenment.
• Enlightenment promoted democracy, individual freedom, and the rule of law.
• Modern era (1800 onwards) brought industrial advancements and new social challenges.
• Science faced ideological struggles ending with WWII.

Key Questions in Science

• What constitutes true knowledge?
• Is there one science or many? Is there one uniform way of doing science?
• Is science socially or politically biased?
• Can scientists study anything?

The German-speaking World and Science

• Frederick III of Prussia aimed to make Berlin a European capital with a new university.
• Wilhelm von Humboldt founded the University of Berlin in 1811, promoting research-integrated education.
• Humboldtian model: Comprehensive education integrating science, culture, and art.

Idealism vs. Rationalism

• Idealists like Hegel expanded on Kant's work, emphasizing speculative philosophy and historical context.
• Rationalists like Auguste Comte developed positivism, focusing on empirical facts and abstract logic.

Methodenstreit

• Dispute between Austrian positivists and German idealists.
• Debate on whether science is unified or varies between disciplines.
• Wilhelm Dilthey advocated for separating natural and human sciences.

New Physics and Philosophy

• Early 20th century: Advances in physics (relativity, quantum mechanics) challenged traditional concepts of time, space, and causation.
• Physics influenced philosophy of science.

Vienna Circle and Neopositivism

• Vienna Circle melded insights from physics and language theory.
• Promoted unity of sciences without metaphysical assumptions.

Phenomenology

• Developed by Edmund Husserl and advanced by Martin Heidegger.
• Focused on intentionality and existential aspects of philosophy.
• Criticized the detachment of science from the life-world of ordinary people.

Science and Its Consequences

• WWII demonstrated the destructive potential of scientific knowledge.
• Atomic bomb development led to ethical considerations in scientific exploration.

Conclusion

• Science evolved from understanding to utilizing and potentially destroying the world.