Larry Laudan

Larry Laudan
Born(1941-10-16)October 16, 1941
Austin, Texas, U.S.
DiedAugust 23, 2022(2022-08-23) (aged 80)
EducationUniversity of Kansas (B.A. Physics, 1962)
Princeton University (Ph.D. Philosophy, 1965)
EraContemporary philosophy
RegionWestern philosophy
SchoolPragmatism
InstitutionsUniversity of Pittsburgh, Virginia Tech, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, University of Texas Law School, UNAM
Main interests
Philosophy of science, epistemology, philosophy of law
Notable ideas
Reticulationist model of scientific rationality centered around the concept of research traditions[1]
Pessimistic induction
Criticism of positivism, realism, and relativism
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Laurens Lynn "Larry" Laudan (/ˈlaʊdən/;[5] October 16, 1941 – August 23, 2022)[6] was an American philosopher of science and epistemologist. He strongly criticized the traditions of positivism, realism, and relativism, and he defended a view of science as a privileged and progressive institution against popular challenges. Laudan's philosophical view of "research traditions" is seen as an important alternative to Imre Lakatos's "research programs".[7]

  1. ^ Nickles, Thomas (February 13, 2021). Zalta, Edward N. (ed.). The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Metaphysics Research Lab, Stanford University. Archived from the original on February 13, 2022. Retrieved February 13, 2022 – via Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.
  2. ^ Laudan 1977, p. 125.
  3. ^ Laudan 1984, page 83.
  4. ^ James T. Cushing, Philosophical Concepts in Physics: The Historical Relation between Philosophy and Scientific Theories, Cambridge University Press, 1998, page 377.
  5. ^ Laudan on Convergent Epistemic Realism, archived from the original on April 23, 2020
  6. ^ Larry Laudan (1941-2022). Daily Nous.
  7. ^ Peter Godfrey-Smith, Theory and Reality, 2003, University of Chicago, ISBN 0-226-30062-5, pages 102-121.