The Routledge Handbook of Scientific Realism

Scientific realism is a central, long-standing, and hotly debated topic in philosophy of science. Debates about scientific realism concern the very nature and extent of scientific knowledge and progress. Scientific realists defend a positive epistemic attitude towards our best theories and models regarding how they represent the world that is unobservable to our naked senses. Various realist theses are under sceptical fire from scientific antirealists, e.g. empiricists and instrumentalists. The different dimensions of the ensuing debate centrally connect to numerous other topics in philosophy of science and beyond. The Routledge Handbook of Scientific Realism is an outstanding reference source – the first collection of its kind – to the key issues, positions, and arguments in this important topic.Its thirty-four chapters, writtenby a team of international experts, aredivided into five parts: Historical development of the realist stance Classic debate: core issues and positions Perspectives on contemporary debates The realism debate in disciplinary context Broader reflections In these sections, the coreissues anddebates presented, analysed, and set into broader historical and disciplinary contexts.The central issues covered include motivations and arguments for realism; challenges to realism from underdetermination and history of science; different variants of realism; the connection of realism to relativismand perspectivism; and the relationship between realism, metaphysics, and epistemology. The Routledge Handbook of Scientific Realism is essential reading for students and researchers in philosophy of science. It will also be very useful for anyone interested in the nature and extent of scientific knowledge.

Introduction: Scientific realism in the 21st century – Juha Saatsi PART 1: Historical development of the realist stance 1. Realism and logical empiricism – Matthias Neuber 2. The realist turn in the philosophy of science – Stathis Psillos PART 2: Classic debate: core issues and positions 3. Success of science as a motivation for realism – K. Brad Wray 4. Historical challenges to realism – Peter Vickers 5. Underdetermination – Dana Tulodziecki 6. Kuhn, relativism and realism – Howard Sankey 7. Instrumentalism – Darrell P. Rowbottom 8. Empiricism – Otavio Bueno 9. Structural Realism and its Variants – Ioannis Votsis 10. Entity realism – Matthias Egg 11. Truthlikeness and Approximate Truth – Gerhard Schurz PART 3: Perspectives on contemporary debates 12. Global vs. local arguments for realism – Leah Henderson 13. Perspectivism – Michela Massimi 14. Pluralism and scientific realism – Hasok Chang 15. Scientific progress – Ilkka Niiniluoto 16. Realism and the limits of explanatory reasoning – Juha Saatsi 17. Unconceived alternatives and uniformitarian instrumentalism – P. Kyle Stanford 18. Realism, Antirealism, Epistemic Stances, and Voluntarism – Anjan Chakravartty 19. Modeling and Realism: Strange Bedfellows? – Arnon Levy 20. Success and Scientific Realism: Considerations from the Philosophy of Simulation – Eric Winsberg and Ali Mirza 21. Scientific realism and social epistemology – Martin Kusch PART 4: The realism debate in disciplinary context 22. Scientific Realism and High Energy Physics – Richard Dawid 23. Getting Real about Quantum Mechanics – Laura Ruetsche 24. Scientific Realism and Primordial Cosmology – Jeremy Butterfield 25. Three Kinds of Realism about Historical Science – Derek Turner 26 Scientific Realism and the Earth Sciences – Teru Miyake 27. Scientific realism and chemistry – Paul Needham 28. Realism about cognitive science – Mark Sprevak 29. Scientific Realism and Economics – Harold Kincaid PART 5: Broader reflections 30. Realism and theories of truth – Jamin Asay 31. Realism and metaphysics – Steven French 32. Mathematical realism and naturalism – Mary Leng 33. Scientific realism and epistemology – Alexander Bird 34. Natural kinds for the scientific realist – Matthew Slater. Index

Juha Saatsi is Associate Professor of Philosophy at the School of Philosophy, Religion and History of Science, University of Leeds, UK.