Koyré’s Études galiléennes: Critical Reasoning vs. A Priori Rationalism
Document Type
Book Section
Publication Date
8-29-2021
Publication Title
Science, Method, and Argument in Galileo
Publisher
Springer, Cham
Publisher Location
Cham, Switzerland
Volume
40
First page number:
369
Last page number:
388
Abstract
This essay is an attempt to determine the adequacy of the technique of error analysis characteristic of Alexander Koyré’s historiography, and more specifically to determine the soundness of his interpretation of Galileo; thus, the essay focuses on the part of Koyré’s Études galiléennes that criticizes the basic logic underlying Galileo’s Dialogue on the Two Chief World Systems, Ptolemaic and Copernican. The essay finds little value in the technique of error analysis as such, but it also illustrates the importance of applied logic and of logical analysis in the history of science, since inadequate logic turns out to be Koyré’s own central flaw. Furthermore, new insight is gained into the true philosophical significance of Galileo’s work, since it turns out that Galileo’s skills in logical analysis can be appreciated simultaneously with the disclosure of Koyré’s confusions; these involve primarily the failure to distinguish between rationalism in the sense of reasoning or argumentation and rationalism in the sense of apriorism or speculation.
Controlled Subject
Galilei, Galileo, 1564-1642; Rationalism; Critical thinking
Disciplines
Epistemology | Philosophy | Philosophy of Science
Language
English
Rights
IN COPYRIGHT. For more information about this rights statement, please visit http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
Repository Citation
Finocchiaro, M. A.
(2021).
Koyré’s Études galiléennes: Critical Reasoning vs. A Priori Rationalism.
Science, Method, and Argument in Galileo, 40
369-388.
Cham, Switzerland: Springer, Cham.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-77147-8_19