Nature of Scientific Knowledge

Kevin McCain is Assistant Professor of Philosophy at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.  His research focuses on issues in epistemology and philosophy of science—particularly where these areas intersect. In addition to numerous journal articles, he has published a research monograph on the nature of epistemic justification, Evidentialism and Epistemic Justification.  He is also currently co-editing (with Ted Poston) a volume on inference to the best explanation and a volume on philosophical skepticism.

• Preface.- The Importance of Understanding the Nature of Scientific Knowledge.- Part I: General Features of Knowledge.- The Traditional Account of Knowledge.- Belief.- Truth.- Justification.- Evidence.- Basing a Belief on the Evidence.- A Problem for the Traditional Account of Knowledge.- Part II:  Knowledge of Scientific Claims.- Explanation and Understanding.- From Explanation to Knowledge.- Part III:  Challenges to Scientific Knowledge.- Skepticism about the External World.- Skepticism about Induction.- Empirical Evidence of Irrationality.- Anti-Realism about Science.- Part IV:  Social Dimensions of Scientific Knowledge.- Gaining Scientific Knowledge from Others.- Knowledge in a Scientific Community.- Looking Back and Looking Forward.- Notes.- References.- Index.

“The Nature of Scientific Knowledge—An Explanatory Approach (TNSK)—is a recent contribution to textbooks in Epistemology of Science. While intended for students, this accessible and comprehensive introduction … is a worthwhile read for both teachers and non-specialists interested in scientific knowledge as it covers a broad range of issues on the subject without assuming any background knowledge. It definitely helps readers gain a clear understanding of what scientific knowledge is and its specific relationship to knowledge in general.” (Vincent Ardourel, Metascience, Vol. 26, 2017)