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”
Tag Archives: Charles Darwin
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 027 – On Teleology
Hossein Jorjani First publication: 2026 – 06 – 30 In Aristotle’s philosophy, the final cause (causa finalis) referred to the end, purpose, or goal for which a thing existed. Together with the material, formal, and efficient causes, it formed one of the four fundamental modes of explanation in Aristotelian natural philosophy. Francis Bacon rejected theContinue reading “Excursus 027 – On Teleology”
Excursus 016 – On the Progression of Science
Hossein Jorjani First publication: 2026 – 06 – 30 It may be argued that, alongside the two methodological paths described by Bacon, there exists a third path that begins from experience but allows for the early projection of broad hypotheses, which then guide the search for intermediate propositions and empirical tests. These high-level generalizations guideContinue reading “Excursus 016 – On the Progression of Science”
Excursus 012 – On Transmutability
Hossein Jorjani First publication: 2026 – 06 – 30 The alchemists’ belief in the fixed “kinds” of metals drew upon the Platonic–Aristotelian tradition of essential forms, according to which each natural substance possessed a defining essence that determined its identity. The repeated failure to transmute one metal into another was taken by many as confirmationContinue reading “Excursus 012 – On Transmutability”
Hossein Jorjani 