The Significance of Self-Fulfilling Science

Bibliographic Data

ID10927746
AuthorsCharles U Lowe (Osnabrück University, corresponding author), Charles Lowe (Osnabrück University, Osnabrück, Germany)
Year2018
Volume48
Issue4
Pages343-363
Publication date2018-07-01
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenuePhilosophy of the Social Sciences (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0048-3931 • E-ISSN: 1552-7441
PublisherSAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/0048393118767087
OpenAlexW2797161181
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited22

Once lively debates concerning the philosophical significance of self-fulfilling science, or the causal contribution of science to bringing about the states of affairs it depicts, lapsed in the 1970s. Recent claims concerning the influence of economic theory on the behavior it predicts or explains seem poised to revitalize discussion, yet lack of clarity abounds concerning the key features of such cases and the philosophical issues to which they might be relevant. In this paper, I examine a paradigmatic case of self-fulfilling science, clarify its key features, and critically discuss two existing approaches to understanding such phenomena. Ultimately, I suggest a novel approach more well-suited to analyzing such cases and exploring their philosophical significance

CLARITY · Epistemology · Key (lock) · Philosophy of science · Sociology · Computer Science · Economic theories and models · Economic Theory and Institutions · Innovation, Sustainability, Human-Machine Systems · Philosophy

Tools

Open DOISci-HubOpen Access