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Let's talk about Philosophy of Science

Philosophy of Science — Key Points

Central Questions in the Philosophy of Science

The Demarcation Problem — What Distinguishes Science from Non‑Science?

How Scientific Theories Explain and Predict Phenomena

The Nature of Scientific Reasoning — Induction, Deduction, Abduction

Theory-Ladenness of Observation: How Theory and Observation Interact

The Status of Scientific Knowledge — Realism vs. Anti-Realism

Major Positions in Philosophy of Science

Scientific Realism: The Best Theories Describe Unobservables

Instrumentalism / Anti‑Realism: Theories as Tools, Not Truths

Constructivism and Social Epistemology

Structuralism and Model‑Based Views

Methodology and Reasoning

Induction and Hume’s Problem

Falsificationism: Science as Bold Conjecture and Risky Test

Falsifiability and the Scientific Criterion

Emphasis on Boldness in Science

Conjectures and Refutations

Demarcation and Popper’s Falsificationism

Auxiliary Hypotheses and the Duhem–Quine Problem

Historical Practice: Retaining and Modifying Theories

Some valuable theories are probabilistic or model-based and resist simple binary...

Popper’s The Logic of Scientific Discovery (1959)

Duhem and Quine on Underdetermination — and Kuhn’s Contrast

Bayesianism: Probabilistic Updating of Belief Based on Evidence

Lakatos’ Research Programmes: Short Explanation

Explanation and Laws in the Philosophy of Science

Covering-Law Model (Hempel)

Causal/Mechanistic Accounts

Pragmatic and Pluralist Views of Scientific Explanation

Values, Objectivity, and Ethics in the Philosophy of Science

Objectivity in Science and the Role of Values

Responsible Research: Transparency, Reproducibility, and Ethical Reflection

Contemporary Issues in Philosophy of Science

Replication Crisis and Reliability of Findings

Role of Models, Simulations, and Big Data

Science Policy, Public Trust, and Science Communication — A Brief Explanation

Peter Godfrey-Smith, Theory and Reality (2003) — A Brief Explanation

Karl Popper — The Logic of Scientific Discovery (1959)

Thomas Kuhn — The Structure of Scientific Revolutions (1962)

Bas van Fraassen — The Scientific Image (1980)