The language of science
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.3989/arbor.2011.747n1002Keywords:
Language of science, reconstruction of theories, semiology, physicalism, nominalism, structuralist metatheory, exemplars, resemblance nominalism, infectious diseases, pneumoniaAbstract
From the beginning of philosophy of science, neo positivism proposed physicalism as the basic, common language to all scientific disciplines. We all know of its difficulties and failures. I will analyze the language used in a case of applied –and also basic– research in clinical medicine, so as to evaluate if it is possible an unique language in science, or if it is an unreachable dream. Even when our analysis is structuralist, this case allows us to reconstruct in a natural way the medical clinical theory by means of its exemplars, and not by mathematical models. When we finish our analysis, it will be evident that the old dream of neo-positivism is carried out, and that the language of science –more precisely, the language suitable to reconstruct scientific theories– is a kind of physicalist –and also nominalist– one.
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