Explaining the Regulative Role of Humanities Versus the Developmental Role of Natural Sciences (Reconsidering Heinrich Rickert ideas)

Document Type : علمی - پژوهشی

Author

Assistant Professor, Theoretical Studies of Science, Technology and Innovation, National Science Policy Research Center, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

In recent years, Some Philosophers have pointed out the effective role that humanities can play (not in technological development, but) in control and regulation of technological development to protect the environment and culture. However, no explanation has been provided regarding what specific feature in humanities has realized such a function.
 The approach requires presupposing an essential distinction between humanities from natural sciences. A criterion for the distinction, is provided by Southwest neo-Kantian philosophers who distinguishes between natural sciences and cultural sciences, based on (not the object, but) the logic and the cognitive requirements through which the world is experienced.
 In this article, by reading and reconsidering the Neo-Kantian criterion of the distinction, it is argued that in natural sciences and engineering, unlike humanities, only partially conceive the empirical reality and they miss the part that promotes and protects sustainability.
To develop this argument, by comparing Heinrich Rickert ideas with some of the contemporary semantic approaches, it will be explained how the type of attitude and “the logic” of conceiving and referring to objects (including conceiving and referring to natural kinds) in humanities will bring a complete and balanced understanding of the world of experience.

Keywords

References

  1. Alasti, Keyvan; sheykhrezaee, Hossein (2014), “Scientific terms, Conceptual change and Semantic Externalism”, in Methodology of Humanities and Social Sciences, Volume 20, Issue 78, Summer 2014, p.93−118{in Persian}.
  2. Crowell, S.G. (1996), “Emil Lask: Aletheiology −As−Ontology” in Husserl, Heidegger, and the space of meaning: Paths toward transcendental phenomenology, Northwestern University Press.
  3. Fisher, E., Mahajan, R. L. & Mitcham, C. (2006), Midstream modulation of technology: governance from within, Bulletin of Science, Technology & Society, 26(6), 485−
  4. Gibbard, A. (1975), “Contingent Identity,” Journal of Philosophical Logic, 4: 187–221.
  5. Heis, Jeremy (2018), "Neo−Kantianism", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Summer 2018Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), URL = <https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/ sum2018/entries/ neo-kantianism/>.
  6. Husserl, E. (1927), “a critique of windelband and rickert on classification of the sciences”, trans: E. A. behnke in The Neo−Kantian Reader chapter32, edited by Sebastian Luft, Routledge.
  7. Kripke, S.A. (1972), Naming and necessity, In Semantics of natural language (p.253−355), Springer, Dordrecht.
  8. LaPorte, J. (2003), Natural kinds and conceptual change, Cambridge University Press.
  9. Owen, R., Macnaghten, P. & Stilgoe, J. (2020), ”Responsible research and innovation: From science in society to science for society, with society.” In Emerging technologies: ethics, law and governance(p.117−126), Routledge.
  10. Portney, K. E. (2015), Sustainability, MIT Press.
  11. Putnam, H. (1975), The meaning of ‘meaning. Philosophical papers.
  12. Rickert, H. (1902), The limits of concept formation in natural science: A logical introduction to the historical sciences in in The Neo−Kantian Reader chapter22, edited by Sebastian Luft, Routledge, Year: 2015 (2015).
  13. H. (1934), “Knowing and cognizing”, in The Neo−Kantian Reader chapter23, edited by Sebastian Luft, Routledge, Year: 2015 (2015).
  14. Rip, A. (2018), Futures of science and technology in society, Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden, Chapter6, 115−
  15. Staiti, Andrea and Luca Oliva (2022), "Heinrich Rickert", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Fall 2022 Edition), Edward N. Zalta & Uri Nodelman (eds.), URL = <https://plato. stanford.edu/archives /fall2022/entries/heinrich−rickert/>.
  16. Staiti, Andrea and Luca Oliva, (2022), "Heinrich Rickert", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Fall 2022 Edition), Edward N. Zalta & Uri Nodelman (eds.), URL =

<https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/fall2022/entries/heinrich-rickert/>.

  1. Stilgoe, Jack, Richard Owen and Phil Macnaghten (2020), "Developing a framework for responsible innovation", In The Ethics of Nanotechnology, Geoengineering and Clean Energy, p.347− Routledge.
  2. Windelband, W. (1883), “Critical or Genetic method?” in The Neo−Kantian Reader, edited by Luft, S. & trans, Duncan, A. (2015), p.271−
  3. Windelband, W. (1894), “History and natural science” in The Neo−Kantian Reader, edited by Luft, S., & trans, Duncan, A. (2015).
  4. Zijderveld, A. (2006), Rickert's Relevance: the ontological nature and epistemological functions of values.

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics