THE RATIONALITY OF SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERY

Abstract

The rationality of scientific discovery is a widely debated topic among philosophers of science. Scientific discovery refers to: the genesis , the origin, formulation of scientific ideas, that is, the process by which scientific hypotheses and theories are first proposed and developed. Throughout history, the question of scientific discovery has constantly been the subject of a variety of analyzes and debates, although it can be said that this question especially gains importance in the contemporary philosophy of science. Mainly there are two opposing points of view regarding the scientific discovery. One point of view according to which the scientific discovery can be rationalized and the other according to which the discovery cannot be rationally interpreted to the end, which means , that it is an irrational process and the explanation of its nature is possible only by explaining and describing the historical, social and psychologicalcircumstances. So, the analyzes go from one extreme to the other, from some philosophers who claimed that scientific discoveries are not subject to logical laws, that there are no algorithms that would lead us to discoveries, and that a rational understanding of creative discoveries is not possible. Other philosophers, on the other hand, believe that the process of scientific discovery can be rationalized and that it is not impossible to build a certain logic of scientific discovery. In modern epistemology, philosophers such as Karl Popper, Thomas Kuhn, Hans Reichenbach, Larry Laudan and others believe that non-rational factors such as creativity, intuition, the social and psychological state of the scientist, etc. are an essential part of the process of scientific discovery. Some scientific discoveries are made by chance or through casual observation rather than through a rational process of hypothesis testing. Additionally, some scientific discoveries have been made by individuals who did not follow standard scientific methods, but by individuals who took unconventional approaches to science. In general, the rationality of scientific discovery is a complex and contested issue, and different philosophers have proposed different theories to explain the nature of scientific discovery, and all of them contribute to the deepening and enrichment of knowledge about scientific discovery.