caa a22 4500 465747906 CHVBK 20180323111825.0 cr unu---uuuuu 170327e19900101xx s 000 0 eng 10.1007/BF00322391 doi (NATIONALLICENCE)springer-10.1007/BF00322391 Markl Peter Institute for Analytical Chemistry, University of Vienna, Währingerstrasse 38, A-1090, Wien, Austria aut Evolutionary epistemology, realism and analytical chemistry [Elektronische Daten] [Peter Markl] Summary: After a brief discussion of the state of development of the theory of analytical chemistry and the need for a new evaluation of its status among other fields the paper addresses one of the central subjects in classical epistemology: realism. Summarizing the development of epistemology in the last 50 years it is argued that the quest for certainty, which was one of its driving forces, cannot be fulfilled. Science and philosophy are equally entitled to contribute to the construction of a "world picture”. Both can only deliver hypothetical knowledge. Analytical chemistry supports an evolutionary epistemology: the multitude of sensors developed in the last fifty years can be seen as analogous to new sense organs. Seen from an evolutionary perspective analytical chemistry has tremendously enlarged the variety of sensors for actively seeking information on selected features of reality. In spite of all the difficulties in working out a realistic interpretation of quantum mechanics, the consistency of the picture of the external world delivered by the sense organs of different animals and the culturally developed sensors of analytical chemistry is a strong argument for a modest scientific realism. Springer-Verlag, 1990 Fresenius' Journal of Analytical Chemistry Springer-Verlag 337/2(1990-01-01), 168-171 0937-0633 337:2<168 1990 337 216 https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00322391 text/html Onlinezugriff via DOI 1 research-article jats NATIONALLICENCE 856 40 https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00322391 text/html Onlinezugriff via DOI NATIONALLICENCE 100 1- Markl Peter Institute for Analytical Chemistry, University of Vienna, Währingerstrasse 38, A-1090, Wien, Austria aut NATIONALLICENCE 773 0- Fresenius' Journal of Analytical Chemistry Springer-Verlag 337/2(1990-01-01), 168-171 0937-0633 337:2<168 1990 337 216 Metadata rights reserved Springer special CC-BY-NC licence nationallicence BK010053 XK010053 XK010000 NATIONALLICENCE NATIONALLICENCE NL-springer