Abstract:        

The nature of scientific progress is one of the most controversial topics in the philosophy of science. Some argue that scientific progress is merely a process of the accumulation of scientific knowledge, while others maintain that science progresses only when we are getting closer and closer to the truth. This talk will argue for an alternative approach, namely, the new functional approach to scientific progress. I will illustrate and defend my account by applying it to the history of genetics. I will also highlight the advantages of my new functional approach over the traditional approaches and address some objections to my approach.

Biography:    

Dr. Yafeng SHAN is Research Associate in Philosophy at the University of Kent. Previously, he held teaching and research positions at Tel Aviv University and Durham University. Yafeng completed his PhD at University College London. He is the author of Doing Integrated History and Philosophy of Science: A Case of the Origin of Genetics (Springer 2020), the editor of New Philosophical Perspectives on Scientific Progress (Routledge 2022), and has published research articles in the leading philosophy of science journals such as Philosophy of Science, Synthese, Studies in History and Philosophy of Science, and European Journal for Philosophy of Science.