Philosophy of chemistry against standard scientific realism and anti-realism

Abstract

In this paper, it is suggested that philosophy of chemistry can be seen as having quite a central role in the post-Kuhnian philosophy of science in general, and in analysing the scientific realism vs anti-realism debate in standard philosophy of science, in particular. The post-Kuhnian philosophy of science construes science as a practice rather than a network of statements. It is argued that practical realism can avoid the shortcomings of both standard scientific realism and anti-realism. An important recent book, B. Bensaude- Vincent's & J. Simon's Chemistry - The Impure Science [Bensaude-Vincent & Simon 2008] is analysed, and the position of the authors is interpreted as a kind of practical realism.