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In the Beginning
Larry Laudan was born on 16 October 1941 in Austin, Texas. He received his BA magna cum laude in physics from the University of Kansas in 1962 (Bobby 2021). Laudan's philosophy of science argues that scientific progress proceeds by problem-solving, of either the empirical or conceptual sort. Unlike epistemologists who compare actual scientific methodology with abstract logical criteria, Laudan's pragmatist theory attempts to show how scientific knowledge has grown. -
Science and Hypothesis
Science and Hypothesis is Laudan's first book which consists of a collection of essays written between 1965 and 1981. In it he argues that scientist change their attitude towards the method of hypothesis and the development of modern methodology is almost entirely wrong. He believes this because the method of hypothesis has varied so much throughout the years. Shifts in how the method was regarded was mostly prompted by changes in science itself. -
Science and Relativism
In Science and Relativism: Some Key Controversies in the Philosophy of Science, Larry offers a thorough introduction to major issues in the philosophy of knowledge, and an incisive, wide-ranging critique of cognitive relativism. During the introduction Larry states, "Kuhn, Quine, and Feyerabend have knocked the traditional picture of scientific knowledge into a cocked hat." He says this due to their opposing views compared to his. -
Beyond Positivism and Relativism
In this collection of papers consisting of Lauden's sixth book, many scholars are faced with a choice between a narrowly restrictive positivism and an “anything goes” relativism. Laudan argues that resolving this dilemma involves not some compromise but rather a conception of scientific knowledge that goes beyond both positivism and relativism. He lays the foundation for an account of science that rejects the errors of positivism without providing aid and comfort to the enemies of reason. -
Philosopher of Science and Epistemologist
Larry Laudan, who died 23 August 2022, aged 80, was an American philosopher of science and epistemologist. He strongly criticized the traditions of relativism, realism, and positivism. Laudan defended a view of science as a progressive institution against popular challenges. His philosophical view of "research traditions" is considered a modern alternative to Imre Lakatos's "research programs".