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The idea of nursing science
Author(s) -
Edwards Steven D.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
journal of advanced nursing
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.948
H-Index - 155
eISSN - 1365-2648
pISSN - 0309-2402
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2648.1999.00923.x
Subject(s) - legitimacy , nursing science , philosophy of science , epistemology , engineering ethics , scientific enterprise , sociology , nursing , political science , science education , philosophy , medicine , law , pedagogy , engineering , politics
The idea of nursing science ¶This paper addresses the question of whether or not nursing can legitimately be considered as a science. It is proposed that an adequate answer to this question requires consideration of recent developments in philosophy of science (as urged by Paley). It is shown that such developments call into question the `rational image' of science. However, a defence of the legitimacy of the scientific enterprise has been attempted by Laudan, an advocate of the `historical turn'. Two conditions necessary for the applicability of this `turn' are identified. It is shown that although they apply relatively unproblematically to science, they do not readily apply to nursing. Hence the conclusion is drawn that claims for the integrity of nursing science stand in need of much further development.