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Born
Austin, TX -
Falsifiability
Laudan challenged the Popperian notion of falsifiability as a demarcation criterion for science. He argued that scientific theories are rarely decisively falsified and that scientific evaluation often relies on pragmatic considerations. -
"Progress and Its Problems: Towards a Theory of Scientific Growth"
By questioning the idea that scientific theories progress toward truth and proposing a more nuanced view of scientific growth. Laudan argued in his book that scientific theories should consider their problem-solving and empirical success, rather than their proximity to an ultimate "truth." -
Focus On The History
Laudan often used historical case studies to illustrate his points. He looked at the history of science to show that scientific methodologies and criteria for demarcation have evolved and varied over time. This historical perspective emphasized the changing and context-dependent nature of scientific practice. -
The Demise of the Demarcation Problem
Laudan argues that searching for a universal and foolproof criterion to demarcate science from non-science is futile. He asserts that science does not adhere to a fixed, universal method, and the criteria for differentiation are neither clear nor consistent. -
