Adress: Philosophy and History of Science Department , Budapest University of Technology and Economics (BUTE), Budapest, Stoczek utca 2-4. H-1111, Hungary

Telefon no.: (36-1) 463 - 1181

Telefax no.: (36-1) 463 - 1042

Homepage: phil.philos.bme.hu

E-mail: margitay@phil.philos.bme.hu

Leader of project: Tihamér Margitay, C.Sc., Head of Dept.

Keywords of project: philosophy of science, epistemology, history of science, , sociology of knowledge, norms, cognitive and moral values, argumentation

In the research of contexts of scientific knowledge the external and/or internal factors determining the emerging knowledge are examined. The presence of these factors is questioned, and the strength and the nature of their influence on the scientific knowledge is studied from the view of philosophy of science. Using the distinction of external and internal factors we start from that meaning which is familiar in the philosophy of science. According to this the internal factors are the logical and empirical conditions determining the validity of scientific theories/statements. The external factors of the context of justification and, the relation of the context of discovery and the originating of scientific knowledge is also examined.

The thorough examination of sociological structures wants to show that the assumption of homogeneity concerning the professional background of the scientific community can not be maintained in the light of the change of the scientific practices taking places in the latest few decades. Based on this the research tries to highlight that the assumption mentioned above led to the negligence of some important factors in the studying of the former period of modern science. Our thesis is that norms, cognitive and moral values guide scientific research and the acceptance of scientific results.

The research tries to establish by epistemological means that the context of justification can not be free from the influence of the external factors, not even theoretically. In connection with this the project tries to show concretely the presence and the influence of the external factors in the logical and argumentative means of sciences. It will be demonstrated that even in mathematics and in logic the formal validity and the soundness does not determine exclusively the justifications of scientific theories/statements.