A Critique of the Method of Explication of Concepts in Philosophy of Science: the Case of the Concept of Unification

Subject Areas : Philosophy

هادی  صمدی ¹ (ندارد)

Received: 2008-04-25 Accepted : 2009-06-02 Published : 2011-03-21

Keywords: explication, unification, concept, Explanation, Carnap, Kitcher,

Abstract :

Carnap’s method of explication of concepts proposed based on the ideathat the main responsibility of philosopher of science is the clarificationof vague scientific and unscientific concepts in the language of scienceand replacement of them by “crystal clear” ones. The critiques ofphilosophers like Strawson, Quine, and Popper caused mostphilosophers of science not to openly endorse Carnap’s method ofexplication, even though an important part of their philosophical worksdevoted to his project. In recent years, some philosophers of sciencehave fully defended the method of explication. Instead of criticizing thearguments of these philosophers, this paper criticizes the products ofapplying the method of explication on one important concept ofphilosophy of science, “unification”. It has been shown that the effortsof philosophers of science in offering an explication for this concepthave been futile.