The Transformation of Cognitive Values into Methodological Rules

Abstract

The purpose of the paper is to show that recent achievements in the analysis of 'cognitive values' may give a new impulse to methodological research in the strict sense (rules for accepting/rejecting scientific theories). starting from an analysis of the aims of science, it is argued that the value of methodological evaluation is limited to the context of scientific explanation, and a set of methodological rules for explanatory theories is developed.