Hossein Jorjani First publication: 2026 – 07 – 19 Doubt has often been misunderstood as either a temporary stage on the path to certainty or a permanent condition of skepticism. Both conceptions overlook a more fundamental epistemological function. The enduring value of doubt lies not in uncertainty itself but in its capacity to stimulate theContinue reading “Excursus 089 – On Doubt as a Method of Conceptual Revision”
Author Archives: Hossein Jorjani
Excursus 088 – On the Historical Functions of Doubt
Hossein Jorjani First publication: 2026 – 07 – 19 Philosophical doubt has never constituted a single method or pursued a single objective. Although many traditions have employed questioning, criticism, and the exposure of contradictions, they have done so for fundamentally different purposes. The history of dialectic is therefore also a history of changing conceptions ofContinue reading “Excursus 088 – On the Historical Functions of Doubt”
Excursus 087 – On Three Historical Functions of Dialectic
Hossein Jorjani First publication: 2026 – 07 – 19 Histories of dialectic usually distinguish among philosophers, schools, or historical periods. Equally important, however, is the function that dialectic serves within different intellectual traditions. The same term has been employed for fundamentally different purposes, and these differences are not always made explicit. Three broad historical functionsContinue reading “Excursus 087 – On Three Historical Functions of Dialectic”
Excursus 086 – On the Reciprocity Between Philosophy and Science
Hossein Jorjani First publication: 2026 – 07 – 20 Philosophy and science are often presented as separate intellectual enterprises, or as disciplines standing in a hierarchical relationship to one another. Neither characterization adequately reflects their historical development. Throughout the history of knowledge, philosophy and science have repeatedly influenced and transformed one another in a continuousContinue reading “Excursus 086 – On the Reciprocity Between Philosophy and Science”
Excursus 085 – On Disciplinary Isolation
Hossein Jorjani First publication: 2026 – 07 – 19 The expansion of human knowledge has made scientific specialization unavoidable. No individual can master the methods, literature, and technical developments of every discipline. As knowledge accumulates, researchers necessarily devote increasing attention to narrower fields of inquiry, thereby advancing the depth and precision of specialized research. Specialization,Continue reading “Excursus 085 – On Disciplinary Isolation”
Excursus 084 – On the Distance Problem
Hossein Jorjani First publication: 2026 – 07 – 19 The interpretation of intellectual traditions often proceeds through successive layers of commentary. A philosopher may be studied through later philosophers, a scientist through historians of science, or a political thinker through subsequent schools of interpretation. Such mediation is both inevitable and frequently valuable. Yet it alsoContinue reading “Excursus 084 – On the Distance Problem”
Excursus 083 – On the Canonization Problem
Hossein Jorjani First publication: 2026 – 07 – 19 The history of science is often presented through the achievements of a relatively small number of celebrated individuals. Copernicus, Galileo, Newton, Darwin, Einstein, and a few others have become canonical figures whose discoveries symbolize entire scientific disciplines. Their prominence is fully deserved. Yet an exclusive focusContinue reading “Excursus 083 – On the Canonization Problem”
Excursus 082 – On the Age Problem
Hossein Jorjani First publication: 2026 – 07 – 19 Scientific knowledge is historically cumulative. Theories are revised, methods are refined, instruments become more powerful, and standards of evidence evolve. Consequently, any philosophical account of science must distinguish between the historical development of a scientific discipline and its present methodological state. This gives rise to whatContinue reading “Excursus 082 – On the Age Problem”
Excursus 081 – On Science and Technology
Hossein Jorjani First publication: 2026 – 07 – 19 Science and technology are closely related but distinct human enterprises. Their historical interaction has been so productive that they are often treated as though they were synonymous. Yet the primary aim of science is to understand the natural world, whereas the primary aim of technology isContinue reading “Excursus 081 – On Science and Technology”
Excursus 080 – On Probability and the Transformation of Modern Science
Hossein Jorjani First publication: 2026 – 07 – 19 Science is often associated with certainty. Popular accounts frequently portray scientific knowledge as the discovery of universal laws that establish facts beyond reasonable doubt. Historically, however, the development of modern science has followed a different trajectory. Rather than moving toward absolute certainty, many scientific disciplines haveContinue reading “Excursus 080 – On Probability and the Transformation of Modern Science”
Hossein Jorjani 