Science and Relativism

This provocative book presents spirited debates about the philosophy of science from positivist, realist, pragmatist, and relativist perspectives.

In recent years, many members of the intellectual community have embraced a radical relativism regarding knowledge in general and scientific knowledge in particular, holding that Kuhn, Quine, and Feyerabend have knocked the traditional picture of scientific knowledge into a cocked hat. Is philosophy of science, or mistaken impressions of it, responsible for the rise of relativism?

In Science and Relativism, philosophy professor Larry Laudan offers a trenchant, wide-ranging critique of cognitive relativism and a thorough introduction to major issues in the philosophy of knowledge.

“Larry Laudan's trenchant and witty dialogue will not close controversies about the merits of relativism but will be of great value to seasoned scholars and beginning students in focusing the issues. Some readers are likely to be surprised, others challenged, yet others enraged. With luck, many will be moved to continue the debate.” — Philip Kitcher, award-winning philosopher