From great philosophical narratives to historiographical microanalysis

Joseph Rouse’s epistemic and politically engaged philosophy

Abstract

The main goal of the present article is the following one: Joseph Rouse’s attempt to deny legitimization to science cannot be seen as successful one because he still reinforces the specific scientific practices. As a consequence of this failure, he could also not attain a second goal: the formulation of a coherent normative philosophy of science. In spite of these flaws, his ideas are valuable for those who do not want to sustain some old and persistent divisions of the philosophical universe: analytic versus continental philosophy (or hermeneutics versus science studies) or natural sciences versus human sciences or, finally, science versus society. In particular, as a main conclusion of the present text, I would like to stress that history of science can be enriched by his rich and fruitful philosophical background