Scholars in international relations have long known that ideas matter in matters of international politics, yet theories of the discipline have failed to capture their impact either in the making of foreign policy or the nature of the international system. Recent reengagement with the insights of classical realists has pointed to the possibility of a neoclassical realist approach that can take ...

In a series of recent papers, the prominent Austrian economist Peter Boettke has criticised orthodox economics for its lack of realism. This paper situates Boettke’s critique in the context provided by recent developments in the methodology of economics, most notably critical realism. While there is a good deal of common ground between Boettke’s approach and critical realism, the latter also he...

Does mathematics ever play an explanatory role in science? If so then this opens the way for scientific realists to argue for the existence of mathematical entities using inference to the best explanation. Elsewhere I have argued, using a case study involving the primenumbered life cycles of periodical cicadas, that there are examples of indispensable mathematical explanations of purely physica...

In this paper, I consider the pessimistic induction construed as a deductive argument (specifically, reductio ad absurdum) and as an inductive argument (specifically, inductive generalization). I argue that both formulations of the pessimistic induction are fallacious. I also consider another possible interpretation of the pessimistic induction, namely, as pointing to counterexamples to the sci...

Abstract It is quite unequivocal that Kuhn was committed to (some version of) naturalism; he defended, especially in his later work, the autonomy of scientific rationality; and rejected correspondence theory truth, i.e., traditional realistic conception world’s mind-independence. In this paper, I argue these three philosophical perspectives form an uneasy triangle, for while it possible coheren...

Metaphysical realism is the thesis that “the world consists of some fixed totality mind-independent objects” such “there exactly one true and complete description 'the way is'”. In first part this essay, I will present Hilary Putnam’s worry with metaphysical realism. Secondly, argue realists must commit to anthropocentrism in order solve problem. Thirdly, requires monotheism. Lastly, true. Ther...

Realists argue that mature theories enjoying predictive success are approximately and partially true, and that the parts of the theory necessary to this success are retained through theory-change and worthy of belief. I examine the paradigmatic case of the novel prediction of a white spot in the shadow of a circular object, drawn from Fresnel’s wave theory of light by Poisson in 1819. It reveal...

Abstract Perspectival realists often appeal to the methodology of science secure a realist account retention and continued success scientific claims through progress (e.g., Massimi [2016]). However, in context modern physics, are typically only definable within mathematical framework. In this article, I argue that concern leaves perspectivist open Cassirer’s (1910/1923) neo-Kantian critique app...