Popperian methodology and the Semmelweis case

0580126 - FLÚ 2024 RIV NL eng J - Journal Article
Parusniková, Zuzana
Popperian methodology and the Semmelweis case.
Medicine Health Care and Philosophy. Roč. 26, č. 4 (2023), s. 529-537. ISSN 1386-7423. E-ISSN 1572-8633
Institutional support: RVO:67985955
Keywords : childbed fever * Ignaz Semmelweis * inference to the best explanation * Karl Popper * Thomas Kuhn
OECD category: Philosophy, History and Philosophy of science and technology
Impact factor: 2.1, year: 2022
Method of publishing: Limited access
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11019-023-10167-7

Semmelweis’ discovery of the etiology of childbed fever has long attracted the attention of historians of medicine and biographers. In recent years it has also become of increasing interest to philosophers. In this paper I discuss the interpretation of Semmelweis’ methodology from the viewpoint of the inference to the best explanation and argue that Popperian methodology is better at capturing the dynamics of the growth of knowledge. Furthermore, I criticize the attempts to explain the failure of Semmelweis to have his discovery accepted on the basis of the Kuhnian concept of paradigms, and warn that this view may endorse dogmatism as the norm The Kuhnian position also raises the problem of the authoritarian nature of scientific institutions which defend a paradigm against unorthodox, rebellious views, such as in the case of Semmelweis. Popperian philosophy is seen as a challenge to promote a link between an open society and open science with its main aim being to cherish a free critical spirit.
Permanent Link: https://hdl.handle.net/11104/0349129