1
Assistant Professor of Iranian Wisdom and Philosophy Research Institute
2
PhD student in Science Studies, Iranian Institute of Wisdom and Philosophy
Abstract
Counterfactual scenarios can be run in the case of scientific events, theories and achievements in the virtual historiography of science. We shall try to provide a comprehensive framework to categorise different approaches to the contingency/inevitability of scientific achievements. The proposed framework is an extended version of that presented by Fuller (2008). He has distinguished two approaches to the historiography of science: overdetermination (“Y had to happen, but it need not have happened via X”), and underdetermination (“X need not have happened, but once it did Y had to happen”), where X is the antecedent cause of Y.
We have introduced four extra questions regarding the relationship between X and Y: whether Y depends on X or not; whether Y depends on an alternative of X or not; whether an alternative of Y depends on X or not; whether X is inevitable or not. On the basis of these questions, we propose our comprehensive framework, containing seven options, to categorise different approaches to the inevitability/contingency of scientific achievements. To show the overall adequacy of this framework, we will apply it to two historical cases, one from modern physics and one from Darwin's theory of natural selection.
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Sheykh Rezaee,H. and Yaghmaie,A. (2009). Contingency or Inevitability of Scientific Achievements:
Toward a Comprehensive Framework. Existence and Knowledge, 0(16), 93-112.
MLA
Sheykh Rezaee,H. , and Yaghmaie,A. . "Contingency or Inevitability of Scientific Achievements:
Toward a Comprehensive Framework", Existence and Knowledge, 0, 16, 2009, 93-112.
HARVARD
Sheykh Rezaee H., Yaghmaie A. (2009). 'Contingency or Inevitability of Scientific Achievements:
Toward a Comprehensive Framework', Existence and Knowledge, 0(16), pp. 93-112.
CHICAGO
H. Sheykh Rezaee and A. Yaghmaie, "Contingency or Inevitability of Scientific Achievements:
Toward a Comprehensive Framework," Existence and Knowledge, 0 16 (2009): 93-112,
VANCOUVER
Sheykh Rezaee H., Yaghmaie A. Contingency or Inevitability of Scientific Achievements:
Toward a Comprehensive Framework. Existence and Knowledge, 2009; 0(16): 93-112.
