Reflexiones sobre la ciencia y la epistemología científica

Resum

From the epistemologic point of view, some constructivist trends seem to border on a extreme idealism of kantian overtones; they suggest that the natural world has no existence apart from what the individual creates in his mind. On the other hand, from the methodological point of view, sometimes a valid approach is excessively privileged (such as the fact that the interpretation of observation is always done within a previous theoretical framework) or the didactic effectiveness of some specific approaches is highlighted (such as the usefulness of the History of Science for the learning of some concepts and scientific theories). In both cases perhaps the importance of induction is under­estimated, or the essential part of the scientific method is rejected, or the advantages of some other alternatives are forgotten. This paper offers some reflections on the convenience of adopting a middle position instead of leaning to these two different points.