Scientific Realism

Scientific Realism edited by Jarrett Leplin assembles a landmark debate over whether—and how—science tells us what the world is really like. Opening with Hilary Putnam’s “no-miracles” provocation, Leplin frames ten characteristic realist theses (about approximate truth, reference, success, progress, and literal construal) and then immediately problematizes consensus: realists disagree on which theses they can jointly endorse. The introduction spotlights two pressure points. First, the histo...