Unity of science: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 15:28, 21 January 2023

Revision as of 18:39, 21 January 2023

Line 1:

{{Short description|Theory in the philosophy of science}}

The '''unity of science''' is a thesis in [[philosophy of science]] that says that all the sciences form a unified whole. It was proposed by [[Ludwig von Bertalanffy]] in "General System Theory: A New Approach to Unity of Science" (1951){{sfn|Bertalanffy|1951}} and by [[Paul Oppenheim]] and [[Hilary Putnam]] in "Unity of Science as a Working Hypothesis" (1958).{{sfn|Oppenheim|Putnam|1958}} It has been opposed by [[Jerry Fodor]] in "Special Sciences (Or: The Disunity of Science as a Working Hypothesis)" (1974),{{sfn|Fodor|1974}} by [[Paul Feyerabend]] in ''Against Method'' (1975) and later works,{{sfn|Feyerabend|1993}}{{sfn|Feyerabend|2011}} and by [[John Dupré]] in "The Disunity of Science" (1983){{sfn|Dupré|1983}} and ''The Disorder of Things: Metaphysical Foundations of the Disunity of Science'' (1993).{{sfn|Dupré|1993}}

{{more citations needed|date=March 2016}}

The '''unity of science''' is a thesis in [[philosophy of science]] that says that all the sciences form a unified whole.

It[[Jean has also beenPiaget]] suggested (for example, in [[Jean Piaget]]'shis 1918 workbook ''Recherche''){{sfn|Piaget|1918}} and later books, that the unity of science can be considered in terms of a circle of the sciences, where logic is the foundation for mathematics, which is the foundation for mechanics and physics, and physics is the foundation for chemistry, which is the foundation for biology, which is the foundation for sociology, the moral sciences, psychology, and the theory of knowledge, and the theory of knowledge is based on logic.<ref>, completing the circle,{{Cite websfn|website=www.fondationjeanpiaget.chBraun|title=RechercheBaribeau|last=Piaget|first=Jean|author-link=Jean1984}} Piaget|date=2006|orig-year=1918|access-date=9without Februaryimplying 2017that any science could be [[Reductionism|url=http://wwwreduced]] to any other.fondationjeanpiaget.ch/fjp/site/textes/VE/JP_18_Recherche.pdf{{sfn|Kitchener|1981}}</ref>

==Overview==

The unity of science thesis was proposed by [[Ludwig von Bertalanffy]] in "General System Theory: A New Approach to Unity of Science" (1951) and by [[Paul Oppenheim]] and [[Hilary Putnam]] in "Unity of Science as a Working Hypothesis" (1958). It has been opposed by [[Jerry Fodor]] in "Special Sciences (Or: The Disunity of Science as a Working Hypothesis)" (1974), by [[Paul Feyerabend]] in ''Against Method'' (1975) and later works, and by [[John Dupré]] in "The Disunity of Science" (1983) and ''The Disorder of Things: Metaphysical Foundations of the Disunity of Science'' (1993).

It has also been suggested (for example, in [[Jean Piaget]]'s 1918 work ''Recherche'') that the unity of science can be considered in terms of a circle of the sciences, where logic is the foundation for mathematics, which is the foundation for mechanics and physics, and physics is the foundation for chemistry, which is the foundation for biology, which is the foundation for sociology, the moral sciences, psychology, and the theory of knowledge, and the theory of knowledge is based on logic.<ref>{{Cite web|website=www.fondationjeanpiaget.ch|title=Recherche|last=Piaget|first=Jean|author-link=Jean Piaget|date=2006|orig-year=1918|access-date=9 February 2017|url=http://www.fondationjeanpiaget.ch/fjp/site/textes/VE/JP_18_Recherche.pdf}}</ref>

==See also==

Line 19 ⟶ 15:

* [[Unified Science]]

{{Div col end}}

==Notes==

{{reflist|20em}}

==References==

{{Reflistrefbegin}}

* {{cite journal |last=Bertalanffy |first=Ludwig von |author-link=Ludwig von Bertalanffy |date=December 1951 |title=General system theory: a new approach to unity of science: 1. Problems of general system theory |journal=[[Human Biology (journal)|Human Biology]] |volume=23 |issue=4 |pages=302–312 |jstor=41448003 |pmid=14907026 }} Bertallanfy's article was part of a section that also included, in response, [[Carl G. Hempel]]'s "General system theory and the unity of science" (pp.&nbsp;313–322), Robert E. Bass's "Unity of nature" (pp.&nbsp;323–327), and [[Hans Jonas]]'s "Comment on general system theory" (pp.&nbsp;328–335).

* {{cite book |editor1-last=Boyd |editor1-first=Richard |editor1-link=Richard Boyd |editor2-last=Gasper |editor2-first=Philip |editor3-last=Trout |editor3-first=J. D. |editor3-link=J. D. Trout |date=1991 |title=The philosophy of science |series=A Bradford book |___location=Cambridge, MA |publisher=[[MIT Press]] |isbn=0262023156 |oclc=22597466 |url=https://archive.org/details/philosophyofscie0000unse_u7z8 |url-access=registration}}

* {{cite journal |last1=Braun |first1=Claude M. J. |last2=Baribeau |first2=Jacinthe M. C. |date=Summer 1984 |title=The classification of psychology among the sciences from Francis Bacon to Boniface Kedrov |journal=[[Journal of Mind and Behavior]] |volume=5 |issue=3 |pages=245–259 (252–254) |jstor=43853037 |url=https://www.academia.edu/27010916}}

* {{cite journal |last=Dupré |first=John |author-link=John Dupré |date=July 1983 |title=The disunity of science |journal=[[Mind (journal)|Mind]] |volume=92 |issue=367 |pages=321–346 |jstor=2253810 |doi=10.1093/mind/XCII.367.321}}

* {{cite book |last=Dupré |first=John |date=1993 |title=The disorder of things: metaphysical foundations of the disunity of science |___location=Cambridge, MA |publisher=[[Harvard University Press]] |isbn=0674212606 |oclc=25746325 |url=https://archive.org/details/disorderofthings0000dupr |url-access=registration}}

* {{cite book |last=Feyerabend |first=Paul |author-link=Paul Feyerabend |date=1993 |orig-year=1974 |title=Against method |edition=3rd |___location=London; New York |publisher=[[Verso Books|Verso]] |isbn=086091481X |oclc=29026104 |url=https://archive.org/details/againstmethod0000feye |url-access=registration}}

* {{cite book |last=Feyerabend |first=Paul |date=2011 |chapter=The disunity of science |title=The tyranny of science |___location=Cambridge, UK; Malden, MA |publisher=[[Polity Press]] |pages=[https://archive.org/details/tyrannyofscience0000feye/page/32 32–63] |isbn=978-0745651897 |oclc=668946683 |url=https://archive.org/details/tyrannyofscience0000feye |url-access=registration |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/tyrannyofscience0000feye/page/32 |chapter-url-access=registration}}

* {{cite journal |last=Fodor |first=Jerry A. |author-link=Jerry Fodor |date=October 1974 |title=Special sciences (or: The disunity of science as a working hypothesis) |journal=[[Synthese]] |volume=28 |issue=2 |pages=97–115 |doi=10.1007/BF00485230 |jstor=20114958 |s2cid=46979938}} Reprinted in {{harvnb|Boyd|Gasper|Trout|1991}}.

* {{cite journal |last=Kitchener |first=Richard F. |date=September 1981 |title=The nature and scope of genetic epistemology |journal=[[Philosophy of Science (journal)|Philosophy of Science]] |volume=48 |issue=3 |pages=400–415 (413) |jstor=186987 |doi=10.1086/289007 |quote=Nowhere does Piaget suggest that sociology can be reduced to psychology, but instead refers to 'psycho-sociology'.}}

* {{cite book |last1=Oppenheim |first1=Paul |author-link1=Paul Oppenheim |last2=Putnam |first2=Hilary |author-link2=Hilary Putnam |date=1958 |chapter=Unity of science as a working hypothesis |editor-last=Feigl |editor-first=Herbert |editor-link=Herbert Feigl |title=Concepts, theories and the mind–body problem |series=Minnesota studies in the philosophy of science |volume=2 |___location=Minneapolis |publisher=[[University of Minnesota Press]] |pages=3–36 |hdl=11299/184622 |isbn=9780816601585 |oclc=2669746 |chapter-url=https://conservancy.umn.edu/handle/11299/184622}} Reprinted in {{harvnb|Boyd|Gasper|Trout|1991}}.

* {{Cite book |last=Piaget |first=Jean |author-link=Jean Piaget |date=1918 |title=Recherche |___location=Lausanne |publisher=Édition La Concorde |page=59 |oclc=2565864 |access-date=9 February 2017 |url=http://www.fondationjeanpiaget.ch/fjp/site/textes/VE/JP_18_Recherche.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160629025055/http://www.fondationjeanpiaget.ch/fjp/site/textes/VE/JP_18_Recherche.pdf |archive-date=2016-06-29 |url-status=live}}

{{refend}}

==Further reading==

{{refbegin}}

* {{cite book |last=Bunge |first=Mario |author-link=Mario Bunge |date=2003 |title=Emergence and convergence: qualitative novelty and the unity of knowledge |series=Toronto studies in philosophy |___location=Toronto |publisher=[[University of Toronto Press]] |isbn=0802088600 |oclc=52411064 |doi=10.3138/9781442674356 |url=https://archive.org/details/emergenceconverg0000bung |url-access=registration}}

* {{cite journal |last=Bertalanffy |first=Ludwig von |author-link=Ludwig von Bertalanffy |date=December 1951 |title=General system theory: a new approach to unity of science: 1. Problems of general system theory |journal=[[Human Biology (journal)|Human Biology]] |volume=23 |issue=4 |pages=302–312 |jstor=41448003 |pmid=14907026 }} Bertallanfy's article was part of a section that also included, in response, [[Carl G. Hempel]]'s "General system theory and the unity of science" (pp.&nbsp;313–322), Robert E. Bass's "Unity of nature" (pp.&nbsp;323–327), and [[Hans Jonas]]'s "Comment on general system theory" (pp.&nbsp;328–335).

* {{cite SEP |last=Cat |first=Jordi |date=2017 |url-id=scientific-unity |title=The unity of science |date=2017 |edition=Fall 2017 |last=Cat |first=Jordi }}

* {{cite book |editor1-last=Boyd |editor1-first=Richard |editor1-link=Richard Boyd |editor2-last=Gasper |editor2-first=Philip |editor3-last=Trout |editor3-first=J. D. |editor3-link=J. D. Trout |date=1991 |title=The philosophy of science |series=A Bradford book |___location=Cambridge, MA |publisher=[[MIT Press]] |isbn=0262023156 |oclc=22597466 }}

* {{cite book |editor1-last=BungeGalison |editor1-first=MarioPeter |authoreditor1-link=MarioPeter BungeGalison |editor2-last=Stump |editor2-first=David J. |date=20031996 |title=EmergenceThe anddisunity of convergencescience: qualitativeboundaries, noveltycontexts, and the unity of knowledgepower |series=TorontoWriting studies in philosophyscience |___location=TorontoStanford, CA |publisher=[[UniversityStanford of TorontoUniversity Press]] |isbn=08020886000804724369 |oclc=52411064 |doi=10.3138/9781442674356 32468580}}

* {{cite book |last=Kincaid |first=Harold |date=1997 |title=Individualism and the unity of science: essays on reduction, explanation, and the special sciences |series=Worldly philosophy |___location=Lanham, MD |publisher=[[Rowman & Littlefield]] |isbn=0847686620 |oclc=36817265 |url=https://archive.org/details/individualismuni0000kinc |url-access=registration}}

* {{cite SEP |url-id=scientific-unity |title=The unity of science |date=2017 |edition=Fall 2017 |last=Cat |first=Jordi }}

* {{cite book |last=DupréOdum |first=JohnHoward T. |author-link=JohnHoward T. DupréOdum |date=19931995 |titlechapter=TheEnergy disordersystems and the unification of things:science metaphysical|editor-last=Hall foundations|editor-first=Charles ofA. S. |editor-link=Charles A. S. Hall |title=Maximum power: the disunityideas and applications of scienceH.T. Odum |___location=CambridgeNiwot, MACO |publisher=[[Harvard University Press of Colorado]] |pages=365–372 |isbn=06742126060870813625 |oclc=25746325 31436211}}

* {{cite book |editor1-last=FeyerabendPombo |editor1-first=PaulOlga |authoreditor2-linklast=PaulTorres Feyerabend|editor2-first=Juan Manuel |dateeditor3-last=2011Symons |chaptereditor3-first=TheJohn disunity|editor4-last=Rahman of|editor4-first=Shahid science|date=2012 |title=TheSpecial tyrannysciences and the unity of science |___location=Cambridge, UKDordrecht; Malden,New MAYork |publisher=[[Polity PressSpringer-Verlag]] |pagesisbn=32–639789400720299 |isbndoi=10.1007/978-0745651897 |oclc=668946683 94-007-2030-5}}

* {{cite journal |last=FodorPotochnik |first=Jerry A. |author-link=Jerry FodorAngela |date=OctoberMay 19742011 |title=SpecialA sciencesNeurathian (or:conception Theof disunitythe unity of science as a working hypothesis) |journal=[[SyntheseErkenntnis]] |volume=2874 |issue=23 |pages=97–115305–319 |doi=10.1007/BF00485230s10670-010-9228-0 |jstor=2011495841476691 |s2cid=46979938 143918932}} Reprinted in {{harvnb|Boyd|Gasper|Trout|1991}}.

* {{cite book |editor1-last=GalisonRuphy |editor1-first=PeterStéphanie |editor1-linkdate=Peter Galison2016 |editor2orig-lastyear=Stump2013 |editor2-firsttitle=DavidScientific J.pluralism |date=1996reconsidered: |title=Thea disunitynew ofapproach science:to boundaries,the contexts,(dis)unity and power |series=Writingof science |___location=Stanford, CAPittsburgh |publisher=[[Stanford University of Pittsburgh Press]] |isbn=08047243699780822944584 |oclc=32468580 951158157}}

* {{cite book |editor1-last=KincaidSymons |editor1-first=HaroldJohn |editor2-last=Pombo |editor2-first=Olga |editor3-last=Torres |editor3-first=Juan Manuel |date=19972011 |title=IndividualismOtto Neurath and the unity of science: essays on reduction|series=Logic, explanationepistemology, and the specialunity sciencesof science |seriesvolume=Worldly philosophy18 |___location=Lanham,Dordrecht; New MDYork |publisher=[[Rowman & LittlefieldSpringer-Verlag]] |isbn=08476866209789400701427 |oclc=36817265723045353 |doi=10.1007/978-94-007-0143-4}}

* {{cite book |last=OdumWilson |first=Howard T. |author-link=Howard T. OdumMalcolm |date=19952000 |chaptertitle=EnergyAristotle's systemstheory andof the unificationunity of science |editor-lastseries=HallPhoenix, |editor-first=Charlessupplementary A. S.volume |editor-linkvolume=Charles A. S. Hall |title=Maximum power: the ideas and applications of H.T. Odum38 |___location=Niwot, COToronto |publisher=[[University Press of ColoradoToronto Press]] |pagesisbn=365–3720802047963 |isbnoclc=087081362543634904 |oclcdoi=31436211 10.3138/9781442670990}}

* {{cite book |last1=Oppenheim |first1=Paul |author-link1=Paul Oppenheim |last2=Putnam |first2=Hilary |author-link2=Hilary Putnam |date=1958 |chapter=Unity of science as a working hypothesis |editor-last=Feigl |editor-first=Herbert |editor-link=Herbert Feigl |title=Concepts, theories and the mind–body problem |series=Minnesota studies in the philosophy of science |volume=2 |___location=Minneapolis |publisher=[[University of Minnesota Press]] |pages=3–36 |hdl=11299/184622 |isbn=9780816601585 |oclc=2669746 }} Reprinted in {{harvnb|Boyd|Gasper|Trout|1991}}.

* {{cite book |editor1-last=Pombo |editor1-first=Olga |editor2-last=Torres |editor2-first=Juan Manuel |editor3-last=Symons |editor3-first=John |editor4-last=Rahman |editor4-first=Shahid |date=2012 |title=Special sciences and the unity of science |___location=Dordrecht; New York |publisher=[[Springer-Verlag]] |isbn=9789400720299 |doi=10.1007/978-94-007-2030-5 }}

* {{cite journal |last=Potochnik |first=Angela |date=May 2011 |title=A Neurathian conception of the unity of science |journal=[[Erkenntnis]] |volume=74 |issue=3 |pages=305–319 |doi=10.1007/s10670-010-9228-0 |jstor=41476691 |s2cid=143918932 }}

* {{cite book |last=Ruphy |first=Stéphanie |date=2016 |orig-year=2013 |title=Scientific pluralism reconsidered: a new approach to the (dis)unity of science |___location=Pittsburgh |publisher=[[University of Pittsburgh Press]] |isbn=9780822944584 |oclc=951158157 }}

* {{cite book |editor1-last=Symons |editor1-first=John |editor2-last=Pombo |editor2-first=Olga |editor3-last=Torres |editor3-first=Juan Manuel |date=2011 |title=Otto Neurath and the unity of science |series=Logic, epistemology, and the unity of science |volume=18 |___location=Dordrecht; New York |publisher=[[Springer-Verlag]] |isbn=9789400701427 |oclc=723045353 |doi=10.1007/978-94-007-0143-4 }}

* {{cite book |last=Wilson |first=Malcolm |date=2000 |title=Aristotle's theory of the unity of science |series=Phoenix, supplementary volume |volume=38 |___location=Toronto |publisher=[[University of Toronto Press]] |isbn=0802047963 |oclc=43634904 |doi=10.3138/9781442670990 }}

{{refend}}

Line 55 ⟶ 60:

{{science-philo-stub}}

__NOTOC__