New Book Release: "Heart of Science: A Philosophy of Scientific Inquiry" by Prof. Jacob Stegenga
We are thrilled to announce the publication of Heart of Science: A Philosophy of Scientific Inquiry by Professor Jacob Stegenga (NTU Philosophy). Published by The University of Chicago Press, Heart of Science offers a new vision for the philosophy of science.
About the Book:
A novel epistemology of science contends that good science need not attain its aims, but it must justify its claims.
In Heart of Science, philosopher Jacob Stegenga breaks with the most dominant epistemologies of science to argue that in judging scientific activity, we should focus on its justification, not the achievement of truth or knowledge. Yet, Stegenga argues, the aim of science goes far beyond justification and is, instead, a special kind of truth—common knowledge, a broadly shared and mutually justified scientific finding.
Drawing on both historical examples and recent events like the COVID-19 pandemic, Stegenga outlines his approach before delving into its implications for scientific evaluation, testimony, values, progress, and credit, as well as the nature of science during times of crisis. Truth, he shows, may not be easily identified in the short term. However, an evaluation of scientific justification, grounded in shared standards, is possible. This framework helps us appraise—and appreciate—historical theories that ultimately weren’t accurate and offers fresh insights about appropriate science communication and public trust in scientific research. Justification and scientific rigor are not just means to an end, Stegenga writes, but the very heart of good science.
Purchase at: https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/H/bo257658927.html
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Jacob Stegenga is a philosopher of science, and has published on topics in general philosophy of science, philosophy of medicine, and philosophy of biology. Prior to joining NTU he taught at the University of Cambridge, and he received his PhD from the University of California San Diego. He is the author of Medical Nihilism (2018), Care and Cure: An Introduction to Philosophy of Medicine (2018), and Heart of Science (2026).
