TY - CHAP
T1 - The Functional Approach
T2 - Scientific Progress as Increased Usefulness
AU - Shan, Yafeng
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 selection and editorial matter, Yafeng Shan; individual chapters, the contributors.
PY - 2022/1/1
Y1 - 2022/1/1
N2 - The functional approach to scientific progress has been mainly developed by Kuhn, Lakatos, Popper, Laudan, and more recently by Shan. The basic idea is that science progresses if key functions of science are fulfilled in a better way. This chapter defends the function approach. It begins with an overview of the two old versions of the functional approach by examining the work of Kuhn, Laudan, Popper, and Lakatos. It then argues for Shan’s new functional approach, in which scientific progress is defined as an increase of usefulness of exemplary practices.
AB - The functional approach to scientific progress has been mainly developed by Kuhn, Lakatos, Popper, Laudan, and more recently by Shan. The basic idea is that science progresses if key functions of science are fulfilled in a better way. This chapter defends the function approach. It begins with an overview of the two old versions of the functional approach by examining the work of Kuhn, Laudan, Popper, and Lakatos. It then argues for Shan’s new functional approach, in which scientific progress is defined as an increase of usefulness of exemplary practices.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85143931750&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.4324/9781003165859-5
DO - 10.4324/9781003165859-5
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AN - SCOPUS:85143931750
SN - 9780367760557
SP - 46
EP - 61
BT - New Philosophical Perspectives on Scientific Progress
PB - Taylor and Francis
ER -