Description
Book SynopsisIn this monograph Janet A. Kourany argues for a philosophy of science more socially engaged and socially responsible than the philosophy of science we have now, a philosophy of science that can help to promote a science more socially engaged and socially responsible than the science we have now. The central questions feminist scientists, philosophers, and historians have been raising about science during the last three decades form Kourany''s point of departure and her response to these questions builds on their insights. This way of approaching science differs from mainstream philosophy of science in two crucial respects: it locates science within its wider societal context rather than treating science as if it existed in a social, political, and economic vacuum; and it points the way to a more comprehensive understanding of scientific rationality, one that integrates the ethical with the epistemic. Kourany develops her particular response, dubbed by her the ideal of socially responsi
Trade ReviewKouranys ease with the history and (particularly 20th-century) philosophy of science allow her to fill the pages of her book with an impressive breadth and diversity of examples ... Kouranys generally optimistic approach creates an interesting and fruitful tension ... This is an excellent introduction to philosophy of science as a challenged and challenging terrain, and a rallying call for the return, or proliferation, of the public intellectual. * Anna Mudde, Philosophy in Review *
Table of ContentsREFERENCES; INDEX
