Abstract
Vailati eliminates every contrast between natural and historical sciences, by pointing out that events “behave” in a generalizable way. Moreover, each generalization (which by the way cannot be conceived as an absolute even in natural sciences) is never an incontrovertible law. It can only be an interpretative hypothesis, and no theory can be valid if it is not confronted with historical events. Everything which is considered in general terms, like the cause-effect relationship in natural sciences, is specified in historical sciences and applied to historical processes, creating a sort of testing ground for laws. It is a reformulation of the actual concept of law, which is not conceived as something universal even in natural sciences. Vailati’s logical and theoretical pragmatism is an answer to a concrete need. Even the analysis of the cause-effect relationship of law is carried out through a concrete approach: his method has to be translated into behaviour, with a stoic and careful attitude.
| Translated title of the contribution | [Autom. eng. transl.] Giovanni Vailati and the method of philosophy: the case of historical sciences |
|---|---|
| Original language | Italian |
| Title of host publication | Cent'anni di Giovanni Vailati |
| Editors | IVAN POZZONI |
| Pages | 75-107 |
| Number of pages | 33 |
| Publication status | Published - 2009 |
Keywords
- Vailati
- history
- pragmatism
- pragmatismo
- science
- scienza
- storia
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