The unity of science and the unity of nature

Philip Kitcher

pp. 253-272

in: Paolo Parrini (ed), Kant and contemporary epistemology, Berlin, Springer, 1994

Abstract

Far from being an idiosyncrasy of the logical positivists or of other philosophers, the demand for the unity of science has been formulated by inquirers as diverse as Copernicus, Lavoisier, Maxwell, Darwin, and the contemporary searchers for a Grand Unified Theory. But why should any such demand be taken seriously? Perhaps for a certain type of religious sensibility unified science would be the undistorted reflection of a unified nature, and belief that "Nature is wont to be simple and consonant unto itself" could be taken to rest on faith in the wisdom and beneficence of the creator." Without some such theological foundation, it appears that we have no right to presuppose the unity of nature. The demand for unified science must thus be grounded differently, in the ease that unity would bring to our thought or, perhaps, in the efficiency that it would lend to our research."

Cited authors

Darwin Charles