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This book solves a century-old key problem in the philosophy of science by providing the first successful solution that differentiates between disciplines, claims, and attitudes that are scientific and those that are not. This is of profound social relevance, as sharpening and improving our understanding of the nature of science would benefit human well-being, including in educational, financial, medical, legal, regulatory, and political endeavours. The book executes a multi-criterial scientific demarcation project. This allows for the demarcation not only of science from pseudoscience but also of science from other non-scientific fields. In this way, it provides a unique and intensional scientific demarcation in philosophy of science. This book is of great interest to philosophers of science, epistemologists, educators, and anyone designing policies or deciding matters concerning science, such as legislators, regulators, magistrates, and judges.
Sommario
Author s note on the text.- Abstract.- Acknowledgements.- List of abbreviations.- Part I: Retackling the Demarcation Problem.- Chapter 1: The Multicriterial Approach to the Problem of Demarcation.- Chapter 2: A Survey of the Properties of Science for Multicriterial Demarcation.- Part II: Case Studies.- Chapter 3: The Properties of Genethliac Astrology.- Chapter 4: The Properties of Parapsychology.- Chapter 5: The Properties of Creation Science .- Chapter 6: The Properties of Homeopathy.- Chapter 7: The Properties of Feng Shui.- Chapter 8: The Properties of Common Sense.- Chapter 9: The Properties of Art.- Chapter 10: The Properties of Religion.- Chapter 11: The Properties of Analytic Philosophy.- Chapter 12: The Properties of History.- Chapter 13: The Properties of the Formal Sciences.- Chapter 14: The Properties of Physics.- Chapter 15: The Properties of Chemistry.- Chapter 16: The Properties of Astronomy.- Chapter 17: The Properties of Biology.- Chapter 18: The Properties of Psychology.- Chapter 19: The Properties of Sociology.- Part III: A Working Demarcation.- Chapter 20: Concluding Remarks: Theoretical Import and Practical Applications.- Appendix 1: Fuzzy Logic for the Demarcation of Science.- Appendix 2: Social Beliefs without Entirely Social Causes.- Index.
