Philosophy of Science Association

Editorial: What Is Philosophy of Science?

Author(s): W. M. Malisoff
Source: Philosophy of Science, Vol. 1, No. 1 (Jan., 1934), pp. 1-4
Published by: The University of Chicago Press on behalf of the Philosophy of Science
Association
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/184478
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philosophg
of
Science
VOL. I
January,
1934
NO.
EDITORIAL
What is
Philosophy
of Science?
HILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE is the
organized
expression
of a
growing
intent
among philoso-
phers
and scientists to
clarif y, perhaps unif y,
the
programs,
methods and results of the disci-
plines
of
philosophy
and of science. The exam-
ination of f undamental
concepts
and
presup-
positions
in the
light
of the
positive
results of
science,
systematic
doubt of the
positive
results,
and a
thorough-going analysis
and
critique
of
logic
and of
language,
are
typical projects
f or this
joint
ef f ort. It is not
necessary
to be committed to a belief that sci-
ence and
philosophy
are or should be
one,
or else that "never the
twain shall meet." If
anything,
there is to be
expected
a whole-
some
regard
f or the value of established science in
f urnishing
a
f oil f or
philosophy
and a check on its old
extravagances.
This
does not mean that even the best-established science
may
not be
subject
to most
devastating
criticism
by analysis
of its f ounda-
tions. In
f act,
despairing
of the
philosophy
of the
schools,
science
has done it
largely
f or itself . The theories of
gravitation,
ato-
micity, electro-magnetism,
evolution, relativity
and
quanta
have
all arisen
through
drastic revisions of
complacent
f undamental
"truths."
I
2 Editorial
Brief as the title of our
journal may
be it alludes to two worlds
which of t have been ill-def ined and
misconceived,
and indeed
of f ers
opportunities
f or f urther distortion in the
conjunction.
Yet,
optimistically
considered,
therein
may
be a
promise
of
greater
riches on clarif ication. We
quote
a f ew contrasts of
opinion:
"The
Philosophy
of Science is an
application
of the scientif ic method
to
philosophy....
Science
always implies
Monism,
that
is,
a
unitary
world-conception."-7The
Monist.
"Thus,
Chapter
II of
my
Studies,
which is entitled 'The Idol of Sci-
entif ic
Method,'
aims at
showing
that,
if
philosophy
is to render in
coherent
theory
the real nature of the universe as revealed in our
experi-
ence,
it cannot model its
procedure
on that of the sciences."-R. F.
Alf red
Hoernle.
"A
f ully 'explained'
world would be
indistinguishable
f rom
pure
non-
being."-A.
E.
9aylor.
"The f uture of
Philosophy
is the elevation of Science to the level of a
philosophy....
Science
regards
man as an
ef f ect
of
nature,
philosophy
as a cause in nature
(knowing
the laws of
nature)."-Aloys
Riehl.
"Nature is closed to
Mind."-Alf red
North Whitehead.
"The Earth is a
globe,
and what it is besides
may
be f ound in the
museums of natural
history."-Gustav
t'heodor
Fechner.
"Don't
f orget
at
any
moment that thou art a human
being
and not a
mere
product
of nature."-David Friedrich Strauss
(I808-1874)-a
Hegelian.
"Without
science,
philosophy
is
null;
without
philosophy,
science is
blind."-Cournot.
"Theory
is not
merely
an economic
presentation
of
laws,
but a classi-
f ication at the same time of these laws."-Pierre Duhem.
"No science can
saf ely
be abandoned
entirely
to its own devotees."
-Venn.
"Every plank
[of
the advance of
science]
is f irst laid
by
Retroduction
alone,
that is to
say by
the
spontaneous conjectures
of instinctive reason."
-C. S. Peirce.
"It is one of the most
important
f unctions of science to achieve as
perf ect
an elaboration as
possible
of all the relations
conceivable,
and in
this
practical necessity
lies the f oundation of the
general
or theoretical
elaboration of science."-Wilhelm Ostwald.
"The f ield of the theoretical
philosophy
of
nature,-yes,
the f ield
W. M. Malisof f
3
of the
logic
of science-this whole
region
is
to-day
an
open
one."-
7osiah
Royce.
"Metaphysics
is the
queen
of the
sciences;
but this
queen
has been
f or a
long
time an over-delicate and even a
sickly
woman. She is in
great
need of a
propping-up
f rom her
healthy
and
strongly developed
sisters-the natural sciences."-Erich Becher.
"Metaphysics
will
probably
be abandoned
altogether...."-
Charles Richter.
"Space
is
only
a word that we have believed is a
thing.
What is the
origin
of this word and of other words also ? What
things
do
they
hide ?
To ask this is
permissible;
to f orbid it would
be,
on the
contrary,
to be
a
dupe
of
words;
it would be to adore a
metaphysical
idol,
like
savage
peoples
who
prostrate
themselves bef ore a statue of wood without
daring
to take a look at what is within."-Henri Poincare.
* *
In our
group
we have
representatives
of
practically
all the
shades of
opinion suggested by
the
quotations-radicals, pro-
gressives,
a f ew tried veterans of established
philosophic
f ashion,
but no
reactionaries,-a
coalition dominated
by
the unorthodox.
* * *
In
style
we allow the
greatest
latitude. The editorial remarks
could have been made
very
solemn,-but
that is
really
too
easy.
In content we
require accuracy, thoroughness, rigor-in
the
f ashion of a research
journal.
* * *
We
propose
to elaborate a
program
f or the
Philosophy
of Sci-
ence,
the
subject
and the
journal,-a
research
program,
and like
all
good
research
programs subject
to revision with
progress.
Some kind of
priority
list is
necessary.
The editor submits a
general listing, solely
on his own
responsibility:
I. Studies in the
analysis
of
meaning,
def inition,
symbolism.
II. Studies in
presuppositions--axioms, postulates,
maxims.
III. Studies in method.
IV. Studies of the nature and f ormulation of theoretical
principles.
4
Editorial
V. Studies in the structure of the
sciences,
their hierarchies.
VI. Studies in the f unction and
signif icance
of science within
various contexts.
* * *
For the time
being
our
departments
will be
EDITORIAL
CONTRIBUTIONS
DISCUSSION
(CORRESPONDENCE)
REVIEWS AND NOTES
BUDGET OF PARADOXES
NOTICES
Their
purposes
will be
apparent
f rom their content and f rom
notes
appended
under the
headings.
W. M. M.