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Archive for March, 2010

Helena Sheehan challenges STS

By ucapt0s, on 9 March 2010

Modern philosophy of science is “thin, philosophy-lite”, according to a world-renowned academic. Helena Sheehan, who retired last year from Dublin City University, said she despaired of some of the philosophy-of-science papers she is now asked to referee.

Speaking last night in our seminar series, she said: “I am appalled at the lack of knowledge about the intellectual heritage of philosophy of science that I see around me today. It’s so thin.”

Professor Sheehan was particularly scathing about modern fashions that tackle miniscule questions. “At least during the ‘science wars’ of the 1990s, there were some big issues at stake about the reliability of science and the role of social forces in shaping it. I don’t see anything like that today.”