Study Questions for Laudan

  1. What is the main point that Laudan suggests in this piece?
  2. What are the eight conclusions that he sets forth in an effort to describe what should be learned from historical evidence within the scientific realm? What is the point of these eight conclusions?
  3. What is the primary aim of science according to Laudan?
  4. What are empirical problems? What are conceptual problems? Why should empirical and conceptual problems be separated?
  5. How does Laudan define the worth of a theory?
  6. How does Laudan define scientific progress?
  7. What are the specific functions of research traditions? How does Laudan view the credibility of a research tradition?
  8. How does a research tradition offer "adequacy and promise"?
  9. Does Laudan agree with Kuhn's assumptions? Why or why not?
  10. How is Laudan's model different from the "desiderata"?
  11. Is Laudan's model a credible problem solving approach? How does he preempt criticism?
  12. How do Laudan's assertions compare to those of Popper, Kuhn, and Lakatos?
  13. How can Laudan's assumptions be beneficial to the study of contemporary political science?

Things to look for/keep in mind for future readings:

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