Abstract
This introduction to the philosophy of science offers an overview of the major concepts and developments in contemporary theories of science. Strengths and weaknesses of deductive, inductive, and falsificationist models of science are considered. The “Received View” in the theory of science is contrasted with Kuhn's paradigms and Feyerabend's “anything goes,” leading to an examination of the merits of a research program–based approach. After touching on the sociology of science, postmodernism, and the feminist critique, the article concludes with a summary, in six theses, of the implications for religion/science.
Keywords
deductive models, philosophy of science, religion/science parallels, research programs, falsification, paradigms, theories of rationality, inductive models
How to Cite
Clayton, P., (1997) “Philosophy of Science: What One Needs to Know”, Zygon: Journal of Religion and Science 32(1), 95–104. doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/0591-2385.731997073