Organon F
2021, Pages 1–38
ISSN 2585-7150 (online) ISSN 1335-0668 (print)
This paper's primary purpose is to show that there is a peculiar alternative to scientism whose central thesis is not about sources of knowledge or the existence of various objects, but it aims at setting out a strategy to help decide which of the two mutually exclusive beliefs is the better one to adopt. Scientophilia, to coin a term, recommends preferring, without any discussion, a position consistent with the consensus of credible and reliable experts in a given domain. In case there is no such agreement, mainly because peers disagree with each other, or experts are difficult to identify, it is recommended for a scientophile to suspend judgment. Scientophilia is not a position on science or human knowledge boundaries, but it deals with the practical side of belief change. Verdicts made by this approach are partially similar to those offered by mild scientism, as scientophilia puts scientific knowledge as one of the most reliable sources. However, it is also consistent with mild antiscientism, as in some particular cases (for example, Moorean truths), it assigns reliable expertise to non-scientific experts. Therefore it is a third way.
Antiscientism; demarcation of science; scientism; scientophilia.
Author
Szymon Makuła
Affiliation
University of Silesia
Address
Bankowa 11 40-007 Katowice University of Silesia, Poland
Received
13 January 2020
Revised
11 January 2021
Accepted
20 June 2021
Published online
28 September 2021
Publishers
Institute of Philosophy of the Slovak Academy of Sciences
Institute of Philosophy of the Czech Academy of Sciences
Makuła, Szymon. "Is There an Alternative to Moderate Scientism?" Organon F 2021, 1–38. https://www.organonf.com/journal/szymonmakula
© Szymon Makuła
Forthcoming
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