The Problem of Understanding of Nature in Exact Science
Author(s) -
Leo Näpinen
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
acta baltica historiae et philosophiae scientiarum
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.119
H-Index - 4
eISSN - 2228-2017
pISSN - 2228-2009
DOI - 10.11590/abhps.2014.2.06
Subject(s) - epistemology , management science , engineering ethics , philosophy , engineering
In this short inquiry I would like to defend the statement that exact science deals with the explanation of models, but not with the understanding (comprehending) of nature. By the word ‘nature’ I mean nature as physis (as a self-moving and self-developing living organism to which humans also belong), not nature as natura naturata (as a nonevolving creature created by someone or something). The Estonian philosopher of science Rein Vihalemm (2008) has shown with his conception of phi-science (φ-science) that exact science is itself an idealized model or theoretical object derived from Galilean mathematical physics.
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