Science, Nature and Ethics

Does the discovery process- and not just testing - lend epistemic support to scientific theories? Is idealization central to any scientific approach? What are the positively determinate features of quantum-physical indeterminism? Can the Anthropic Principle really provide cosmological explanations? Do neural network models and evolutionary views of cognition provide adequate accounts of knowledge acquisition and morality? Can the 'scientific paradigm' of self-organization lead to a new theory of nature?

Are there deep links between views of scientific method and human freedom? Is sustainability a question of rights of future generations? These and other issues pertaining to ethics and philosophy of science are discussed in this collection of articles, with a special emphasis on normative questions.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Preface An interview with Peter P. Kirschenmann by Eric-Jan Tuininga Part I: Science and Nature 1. Local and Normative Rationality of Science 2. Heuristical Strategies 3. Science, Norms, and Brains 4. Reciprocity in the Uncertainty Relations 5. Two Forms of Determinism 6. Does the Anthropic Principle Live up to Scientific Standards? 7. Views on Divine Activity in Nature Part II: Science and Ethics 8. Methodologies, Freedom and Cultural Constructions 9. Moral and Other Responsibilities of Science and Technology 10. Our Obligations to Nature and the Future 11. Must We Develop Sustainably? 12. Naturalistic Dead, Loose and Open Ends 13. The Conceptually Elusive Nature of Persons Acknowledgements

Peter P. Kirschenmann is Emeritus Professor of Philosophy at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.