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Imagination and Scientific Dilemmas: Exclusion, circularity and infinite regress in "scientific texts"

O'Dowd, Mina LU (2008)
Abstract
Building on the results of a mapping project, the paper examines two kinds of knowledge, "expert knowledge" and "scientific knowledge" with regard to "dilemmas of exclusion, circularity and infinite regress" (Paulston, 2000a, p. 9) and the consequences of these dilemmas, when seen with another imagination than that used to construct the knowledge built upon them. The constructive imagination used in this paper is characterized by two defining characteristics; metaphysical pluralism (Lynch, 1998) and the definition of science as the cumulative human project, composed of the totality of all cultural forms (Cassirer, 1957). Examination of the six texts included in the mapping project is undertaken in an attempt to clarify the role scientific... (More)
Building on the results of a mapping project, the paper examines two kinds of knowledge, "expert knowledge" and "scientific knowledge" with regard to "dilemmas of exclusion, circularity and infinite regress" (Paulston, 2000a, p. 9) and the consequences of these dilemmas, when seen with another imagination than that used to construct the knowledge built upon them. The constructive imagination used in this paper is characterized by two defining characteristics; metaphysical pluralism (Lynch, 1998) and the definition of science as the cumulative human project, composed of the totality of all cultural forms (Cassirer, 1957). Examination of the six texts included in the mapping project is undertaken in an attempt to clarify the role scientific texts have played in what Latour has called "our culture" (1990). (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
organization
publishing date
type
Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding
publication status
in press
subject
keywords
circularity, infinite regress, exclusion, dilemmas, scientific knowledge, expert knowledge
host publication
The Emergence of the Knowledge society: From Clerici vagantes to Internet
editor
Palomba, Donatella
publisher
Aracne Editrice
project
PRESTIGE
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
50a7cd26-176a-4d4c-be58-5a6d0df787e5 (old id 620128)
date added to LUP
2016-04-04 11:08:58
date last changed
2020-05-26 16:09:23
@inbook{50a7cd26-176a-4d4c-be58-5a6d0df787e5,
  abstract     = {{Building on the results of a mapping project, the paper examines two kinds of knowledge, "expert knowledge" and "scientific knowledge" with regard to "dilemmas of exclusion, circularity and infinite regress" (Paulston, 2000a, p. 9) and the consequences of these dilemmas, when seen with another imagination than that used to construct the knowledge built upon them. The constructive imagination used in this paper is characterized by two defining characteristics; metaphysical pluralism (Lynch, 1998) and the definition of science as the cumulative human project, composed of the totality of all cultural forms (Cassirer, 1957). Examination of the six texts included in the mapping project is undertaken in an attempt to clarify the role scientific texts have played in what Latour has called "our culture" (1990).}},
  author       = {{O'Dowd, Mina}},
  booktitle    = {{The Emergence of the Knowledge society: From Clerici vagantes to Internet}},
  editor       = {{Palomba, Donatella}},
  keywords     = {{circularity; infinite regress; exclusion; dilemmas; scientific knowledge; expert knowledge}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  publisher    = {{Aracne Editrice}},
  title        = {{Imagination and Scientific Dilemmas: Exclusion, circularity and infinite regress in "scientific texts"}},
  year         = {{2008}},
}