This thesis explores the relationship between philosophy of science and Wittgenstein's philosophical method. It aims to answer the question: Is there a philosophy of science in Wittgenstein’s...Show moreThis thesis explores the relationship between philosophy of science and Wittgenstein's philosophical method. It aims to answer the question: Is there a philosophy of science in Wittgenstein’s philosophical method? It is concluded that such a connection exists and that this is supported by direct philosophical remarks by Wittgenstein. A central challenge faced by philosophy of science as field, is its perceived detachment from scientific practice and the limitations of philosophical analysis of scientific concepts. By focusing on philosophy of science from a meta-philosophical perspective, the field can be linked to Wittgenstein and his philosophical method, which is defined by conceptual analysis. Recent publications of conversations with Rush Rhees provide several direct remarks by Wittgenstein on the relationship between philosophy and science. Contrary to interpretations suggesting that Wittgenstein completely separates philosophy and science, I argue that his remarks to Rush Rhees suggest the fields can be related in accordance with Wittgenstein’s philosophical method. This thesis is structured as follows: firstly, issues pertaining to philosophy of science are related to Wittgenstein’s philosophical method. Thereafter I set out what characterizes his method. Subsequently I analyze his explicit remarks on the topic from conversations with Rush Rhees, complemented by various other remarks by Wittgenstein on this subject. I identify two types of connections from these remarks, which are dealt with in two chapters: conceptual analysis as tool for the scientist and philosophically understanding science as activity.Show less
Bachelor thesis | Film- en literatuurwetenschap (BA)
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Studies show that literature is highly affected by the context in which it is written. Therefore, literature can be analyzed as a case study in order to identify the tendencies of thought in the...Show moreStudies show that literature is highly affected by the context in which it is written. Therefore, literature can be analyzed as a case study in order to identify the tendencies of thought in the time that a story is written. The purpose of this study was to "analyze" how the scientific discourse in (post)modern detective fiction can be related to the changing scientific and philosophical context of the twentieth century. Through an extensive textual analysis of a detective character’s methodology, a picture could be painted of their scientific beliefs. By going through this process for two detective characters, the Victorian Sherlock Holmes and the postmodern William of Baskerville, a comparison between the two may then reveal how the shifts in the philosophical field of science and theory could have affected their methods of theoretical thought that they utilize to interpret the world and subsequently solve cases. The study showed that Sherlock Holmes never questioned the objective and observable nature of evidence and universal causality, whereas in William of Baskerville’s methodology the elusiveness of any attempt to interpret the world was a major focus. Relating these findings to the philosophical ideas that were most dominant in the beginning and the end of the twentieth century showed that this shift correlates with the manner in which society’s confidence in the objectivity of science and knowledge has diminished.Show less
