About

Science-first philosophy of science

About me

For my academic homepage at the University of Durham, UK, click here.

I’m a science-first philosopher of science, based at the University of Durham, UK. I care about science, evidence, and truth. And science communication.

What is science-first philosophy of science?

I think philosophical questions about science should be asked, and answered by starting with the actual science. Scientists are, for the most part, doing a brilliant job. And science can achieve, and has achieved, some astonishing things. It has delivered knowledge of things that initially seem impossible to know. If we are going to criticise science, then we had better be sure we really understand the science properly. If we have a philosophical view that sounds particularly silly to scientists, then it probably is silly (witness Karl Popper’s attitude towards the theory of evolution!). And if we have a philosophical view that dicates that science should be done rather differently to how it *is* done, then that view is most likely wrong.