Interweaving categories: Styles, paradigms, and models

TY - JOUR

T1 - Interweaving categories

T2 - Styles, paradigms, and models

AU - Winther, Rasmus

PY - 2012/12/1

Y1 - 2012/12/1

N2 - Analytical categories of scientific cultures have typically been used both exclusively and universally. For instance, when styles of scientific research are employed in attempts to understand and narrate science, styles alone are usually employed. This article is a thought experiment in interweaving categories. What would happen if rather than employ a single category, we instead investigated several categories simultaneously? What would we learn about the practices and theories, the agents and materials, and the political-technological impact of science if we analyzed and applied styles (à la Hacking and Crombie), paradigms (à la Kuhn), and models (à la van Fraassen and Cartwright) simultaneously? I address these questions in general and for a specific case study: a brief history of systematics.

AB - Analytical categories of scientific cultures have typically been used both exclusively and universally. For instance, when styles of scientific research are employed in attempts to understand and narrate science, styles alone are usually employed. This article is a thought experiment in interweaving categories. What would happen if rather than employ a single category, we instead investigated several categories simultaneously? What would we learn about the practices and theories, the agents and materials, and the political-technological impact of science if we analyzed and applied styles (à la Hacking and Crombie), paradigms (à la Kuhn), and models (à la van Fraassen and Cartwright) simultaneously? I address these questions in general and for a specific case study: a brief history of systematics.

U2 - 10.1016/j.shpsa.2012.07.005

DO - 10.1016/j.shpsa.2012.07.005

M3 - Journal article

SN - 0039-3681

VL - 43

SP - 628

EP - 639

JO - Studies in History and Philosophy of Science - Part A

JF - Studies in History and Philosophy of Science - Part A

IS - 4

ER -