Relativism In The Philosophy Of Science And Its Transcendence

The image of science has been quite radically transformed since the middle of twentieth-century. Kuhn is the main contributor to that transformation. From the historical perspective, Kuhn claims that both the methodology of science and scientific practice evolves historically, so the image of science described by standard philosophy of science is a distorted image based on a static conception of science. Our conception of objectivity, truth, rationality about science and the standard of the growth of scientific knowledge have been challenged a lot by Kuhn's philosophy of science, and so relativism has been popularizing in philosophy of science.Generally speaking, we always find relativism is directly opposed with absolutism. Absolutism emphasizes uniqueness, while relativism emphasizes diversity. However, the opposition between relativism and absolutism is only a kind of eternal opposition. Just as Hegel said, "two poles communicate", relativism as the simple opposition of absolutism shares the presupposition of metaphysics with absolutism, which is the dichotomy of subject-object. So metaphysics have two forms which are absolutism and relativism.In the history of metaphysics, although absolutism is the legitimacy of metaphysics, the menace from relativism has always been existed. The opposition between absolutism and relativism is unable to conquer for metaphysics, which discloses the ultimate disfigurement of metaphysics. Metaphysics pursue absolute aims, but in the framework of the dichotomy of subject-object pursuing absolute aims were doomed to defeat, and then relativism is unavoidable.In philosophy of science, both absolutism and relativism are theory-dominated philosophy of science which belongs to metaphysics. Theory-dominated philosophy of science argues that scientific knowledge is the theory representation of the objective world, the legitimacy of which is absolutism claiming the theory representation of the objective world is more and more accurate, and is closer to the truth. But absolutism can't give us the satisfying explanation of the correspondence theory of truth, which leads to relativism. The basic view of relativism is that man as subject can't obtain the unique accurate representation of the objective world because observation is different in different subject and so there is no unique truth.In philosophy of science, absolutism and relativism come forth by turns. Furthermore, recently relativism is showing strong vitality, which urges us to accept that relativism is unavoidable in theory-dominated philosophy of science. However, relativism is not the fundamental denial of absolutism but the passive development of absolutism. When relativism sufficiently develops, theory-dominated philosophyof science will come to the end.Western philosophy has begun to make the turn of existentialism after Hegel. Existentialism is different from metaphysics absolutely, clearing up the dichotomy of subject-object, giving up the correspondence theory of truth, and attaching impotence to the practice and existence of man, and going in for the meaning of existence. Recently philosophy of science has also begun to turn existentialism and so practice-dominated philosophy of science come into being which is different from theory-dominated philosophy of science basically and emphasizes that practice is the essence of science.Because existentialism is against metaphysics of absolutism and practice-dominated philosophy of science against absolutism philosophy of science, some critics claim existentialism and practice-dominated philosophy of science still have the feature of relativism. However, it is from the standpoints of metaphysics that these critics have made their critiques, and so the critique of relativism is a kind of misreading of existentialism and practice-dominated philosophy of science. Existentialism has given up the pursuit of uniqueness and attached importance to the practice of man. As far as practice-dominated philosophy of science concerned, it is an understanding of the practical essence of science, and no longer entangles whether or not scientific knowledge is the representation of the nature. Therefore, existentialism ultimately differs from metaphysics and practice-dominated philosophy of science ultimately differs from theory-dominated philosophy of science. Existentialism and practice-dominated philosophy of science are beyond the opposition between absolutism and relativism.From metaphysics to existentialism, essential changes have taken place in relationships between philosophy and science. Metaphysics named "the queen of science" has applied itself to defend for science, and relativism is the negative representation of the defense. Existentialism has abandoned the illusion of being a kind of fundamental science, and tries to understand science instead of defending science. Therefore, there is the turn from theory-dominated philosophy of science to practice-dominated philosophy of science in philosophy of science, and relativism has been cleared up in philosophy of science.