Theoretical Knowledge (Synthese Library (326))

Vyacheslav Stepin (born 19.08.1934) Is A Distinguished Russian Philosopher, Phd, Professor, Active Member Of The Russian Academy Of Sciences, Honoured Professor Of Moscow State University And Honorary Doctor Of The Karlsruhe University (germany). He Is The Organizer And Leader Of Large-scale Joint Research Projects With Foreign Universities And Research Centers (usa, Germany, France, China) On Problems Of Philosophy Of Sciences And Technics, Globalization And Basic Values Of Culture. In The Book Theoretical Knowledge By V. Stepin, An Original Conception Of A Structure And Dynamics Of Scientific Knowledge Is Proposed. A Detailed Analysis Of The Foundations Of Science Performed By The Author Allowed Him To Develop New Ideas And Approaches, To Demonstrate How Sociocultural Factors Are Incorporated In The Process Of Yielding Of New Theories.^ He Shows Direct And Inverse Links Between Foundations Of Science And New Theories And Empirical Facts Evolved From Those, How Among Many Potentially Possible Histories Of Science A Culture Selects Just Those Directions Which Become A Real History Of Science. The Author Analyses Mechanisms Of The Generation Of Scientific Theories And Shows That Those Are Changed In The Process Of Historical Development Of Science. He Displays Three Historical Types Of Scientific Rationality (classical, Non-classical And Post-non-classical, Which Appears In Modern Science) And Shows Features Of Their Coexistence And Interplay. It Is Shown That Along With The Emerging Of Post-non-classical Rationality Science Increases The Sphere Of Its Worldview Applications. Science Begins To Correlate Not Only With The Basic Values Of Technogenic Civilization But Also With Some Values And Patterns Of Traditional Cultures.^ The Investigation Is Based On The Extensive Literature On The History Of Natural And Social Sciences. The Reader Will Find In The Book Authentic Historical Reconstructions Of The Processes Of The Development Of Classical And Quantum Electrodynamics, Relativity, And Conceptions Of Evolution In Biology. Scientific Cognition In A Sociocultural Context -- Structure Of Theoretical Knowledge -- The Foundations Of Science -- Genesis Of Theoretical Knowledge In Classical Science -- Formation And Development Of Theory In Non-classical Science -- Scientific Revolutions -- Strategies Of Theoretical Investigation In The Epoch Of Post-non-classical Science -- Strategies Of Theoretical Investigation In The Epoch Of Post-non-classical Science. By Vyacheslav Stepin ; [english Translation By A.g. Georgiev And E.d. Rumiantseva]. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 381-394) And Index. Translated From The Russian: Teoreticheskoe Znanie, 2000. 1402030452......Page 1 CONTENTS......Page 6 Preface to the English Edition......Page 9 Preface......Page 11 Traditional and technogenic civilizations......Page 16 Global crises and the problem of the scientific-technical progress value......Page 22 Main distinctive features of science......Page 25 Scientific and common cognition......Page 30 Pre-science and developing science......Page 35 Spiritual revolution of antiquity......Page 39 Birth of the empirical sciences......Page 45 ABSTRACT OBJECTS OF THEORY AND THEIR SYSTEMIC ORGANIZATION......Page 59 THEORETICAL SCHEME AND MATHEMATICAL APPARATUS......Page 67 A THEORETICAL SCHEME’S ROLE IN DEDUCTIVE UNFOLDING OF A THEORY......Page 73 THEORETICAL SCHEMES AND EXPERIENCE. OPERATIONAL STATUS OF THEORETICAL SCHEMES......Page 82 CHAPTER THREE THE FOUNDATIONS OF SCIENCE......Page 105 Worldview, philosophy, scientific picture of the world......Page 107 Historical evolution of the notion of the “scientific picture of the world”......Page 112 The picture of the world in a system of scientific knowledge......Page 123 The ideals and norms of investigation......Page 131 Philosophical foundations of science......Page 145 CHAPTER FOUR GENESIS OF THEORETICAL KNOWLEDGE IN CLASSICAL SCIENCE......Page 167 SCIENTIFIC PICTURE OF THE WORLD AND EXPERIENCE......Page 168 GENESIS OF THE PRIMARY THEORETICAL MODELS OF CLASSICAL SCIENCE......Page 177 Formation of theoretical scheme as a hypothesis......Page 178 Justification and transformation of a hypothesis in a theoretical model of an object......Page 192 CONSTRUCTING A DEVELOPED THEORY IN THE CLASSICAL SCIENCE......Page 200 MATHEMATICAL HYPOTHESIS AND ITS EMPIRICAL JUSTIFICATION......Page 220 Peculiarities of modern forms of physical picture of the world and their role in putting forward mathematical hypotheses......Page 221 The problem of empirical verification of a mathematical hypothesis......Page 230 HOW A DEVELOPED THEORY IS FORMED IN MODERN SCIENCE......Page 235 The main stages of development of the mathematical apparatus of quantum electrodynamics......Page 238 Quantum mechanical picture of the world and its role in forming the mathematical apparatus of quantum electrodynamics......Page 240 Paradoxes of the theory created and the problem of interpretation......Page 242 Idealized procedures of field measuring and interpretation of the apparatus of quantum electrodynamics (the initial idea of Bohr-Rosenfeld procedures)......Page 247 Reconstruction of the theoretical model of quantized electromagnetic field and justification of its consistency......Page 254 The proof of measurability of quantized radiation fields......Page 258 Intermediate interpretations of apparatus of modern physical theory as a condition of its development......Page 270 MUTUAL CONNECTION OF GENESIS AND FUNCTIONING OF A THEORY. THE CONSTRUCTIBILITY PRINCIPLE......Page 278 SCIENCE IN THE TECHNOGENIC CIVILIZATION CULTURE......Page 296 Paradoxes and problem situations as premises of a scientific revolution......Page 297 Heuristic role of methodological schemes......Page 302 Philosophical premises of reconstruction of foundation of science......Page 307 From methodological ideas to theory and a new picture of the world......Page 313 SCIENTIFIC REVOLUTIONS AND INTERDISCIPLINARY INTERACTIONS......Page 320 Scientific revolution as choice of new investigation strategies. Potential histories of science......Page 337 Global scientific revolutions: from classical to post-non-classical science......Page 341 UNIVERSAL EVOLUTIONISM AS FOUNDATION OF THE MODERN SCIENTIFIC PICTURE OF THE WORLD......Page 354 SCIENTIFIC PICTURE OF THE WORLD AND NEW WORLDVIEW REFERENCE POINTS OF CIVILIZATION DEVELOPMENT......Page 369 CONCLUSION......Page 386 REFERENCES......Page 393 H......Page 407 P......Page 408 S......Page 409 V......Page 410 "In the book Theoretical Knowledge by V. Stepin, an original conception of a structure and dynamics of scientific knowledge is proposed. A detailed analysis of the foundations of science performed by the author allowed him to develop new ideas and approaches, to demonstrate how sociocultural factors are incorporated in the process of yielding of new theories. He shows direct and inverse links between foundations of science and new theories and empirical facts evolved from those, how among many potentially possible histories of science a culture selects just those directions which become a real history of science."--BOOK JACKET