Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: I outline an epistemology of evidential reasoning in the history and philosophy of science (HPS). Drawing upon some concrete works in HPS scholarship, I formulate three novel epistemological desiderata for using historical case studies as evidence for philosophical claims about science, to wit: independent historical evidence, metahistorical criticism, and disciplinary alignment. These desiderata bring out epistemic qualities of evidential reasoning that contribute to achieving its primary goal of conferring justification upon philosophical conclusions on the basis of historical evidence. In this way, my proposed epistemology tackles the methodological problem of vicious circularity and the metaphysical problem of disciplinary unsuitability that allegedly jeopardise evidential reasoning, thereby vindicating its positive epistemic status.
Author: Dubian Cañas
Institution: University of Johannesburg
Language: English
Subfield: History and Philosophy of Science
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $2,930
OpenAlex ID: W7110461838
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