RT Journal Article
T1 Scientific understanding: no veritism without realism, no realism without veritism
A1 Martín Villuendas, Mariano
AB Scientific understanding constitutes one of the most firmly settled topics in the philosophy of general science. The most accepted approach within the debate has been the so-called “factivism of understanding.” Here, I show analytically how the latter is articulated through the acceptance of two interrelated theses: an epistemological—veritism—and an ontological one—realism. Recently, a group of authors challenged this line of thought by dissociating ontological and epistemological commitments. I examine these proposals, elucidating to what extent they fail in their attempt to formulate a consistent account of scientific understanding. I argue that if one wants to articulate an account committed to a truth-centered epistemology, one should adopt a realist stance; if one wants to formulate a realist account of scientific understanding, one should subscribe to a truth-centered epistemology.
PB Springer Nature
SN 0353-5150
YR 2025
FD 2025
LK https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/133025
UL https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/133025
LA eng
NO Martín-Villuendas, M. Scientific Understanding: No Veritism Without Realism, No Realism Without Veritism. Acta Anal (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12136-025-00643-5
NO This work has been funded by the Consejería de Educación de la Junta de Castilla y León (Spain) and the European Social Fund.
NO European Commission
NO Junta de Castilla y León
DS Docta Complutense
RD 8 jun 2026