Social Constructivism and the Philosophy of Science

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Are scientific facts constructed by scientists rather than discovered - in the same way as we construct all reality? This book presents a full discussion of the philosophical issues that arise out of this controversial debate.Andre Kukla presents a comprehensive discussion of the philosophical issues that arise out of this controversial debate, analysing the various strengths and weaknesses of a range of constructivist positions. He argues that current philosophical objections to constructivism are drastically inconclusive, while offering and developing objections. Kukla shows that the strongest constructivist arguments still suffer from conceptual difficulties, illustrating the divide between the sociology and the philosophy of science through examples as varied as laboratory science, time, and criminality. Throughout, Kukla distinguishes between the social causes of scientific beliefs and the view that all ascertainable facts are constructed.