Original Research
Changes in epistemic frameworks: Random or constrained?
Submitted: 12 September 2012 | Published: 14 December 2012
About the author(s)
Ananka Loubser, School of Philosophy, Potchefstroom Campus, North-West University, South AfricaAbstract
Since the emergence of a solid anti-positivist approach in the philosophy of science, an important question has been to understand how and why epistemic frameworks change in time, are modified or even substituted. In contemporary philosophy of science three main approaches to framework-change were detected in the humanist tradition:
1. In both the pre-theoretical and theoretical domains changes occur according to a rather constrained, predictable or even pre-determined pattern (e.g. Holton).
2. Changes occur in a way that is more random or unpredictable and free from constraints (e.g. Kuhn, Feyerabend, Rorty, Lyotard).
3. Between these approaches, a middle position can be found, attempting some kind of synthesis (e.g. Popper, Lakatos).
Keywords
Metrics
Total abstract views: 1705Total article views: 3880
Reader Comments
Before posting a comment, read our privacy policy.Post a comment (login required)
Crossref Citations
1. An ontological exploration of change and constancy
Ananka Loubser
Koers - Bulletin for Christian Scholarship vol: 78 issue: 2 year: 2013
doi: 10.4102/koers.v78i2.2108