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"Progress and Its Problems" (1977)
Larry Laudan published "Progress and Its Problems" in 1977. Throughout this publication, Laudan heavily criticizes Popper's theory of empiricism and Kuhn's theory of revolutionism. Laudan states, "science is an evolving process that accumulates more empirically validated evidence while solving conceptual anomalies at the same time" (83). Laudan argues that simply collecting evidence and accumulating experiences does not lead to true scientific advancement. -
"Progress and Its Problems" (1977)
Laudan, in the aforementioned work wanted to impress upon his readers that historical examples do not show drastic "revolutions", but instead redefine scientific rationality and progress. It is fair to say that Laudan has been criticized heavily for his interpretations. However, it would also be fair to say that Laudan's work highlights significant gaps in Popper's and Kuhn's work. In summation, Laudan's interpretation is one that focuses on the problem solving power of scientific progression. -
"A Confutation of Convergent Realism" (1981)
In another famous paper published by Laudan, "A Confutation of Convergent Realism", Laudan heavily calls into play historical scientific evidence to support his claim that, "the history of science furnishes vast evidence of empirically successful theories that were later rejected; from subsequent perspectives, their unobservable terms were judged not to refer and thus, they cannot be regarded as true or even approximately true" (1). Again, Laudan received heavy push back from this article. -
"A Confutation of Convergent Realism" (1981)
At the end of the day, Laudan's philosophical standpoint is that the validity of science relies heavily on its problem solving power. Moreover, philosophical debate regarding science should always take into account historical scientific discoveries, failures, and interpretations. Works Cited: L. Laudan, 1977, "Progress and Its Problems", University of California Press. (1-257) L. Laudan, 1981, "A Confutation of Convergent Realism", University of Chicago Press. (19-49)