Wolfgang Stegmüller
Encyclopedia
Wolfgang Stegmüller was a German-Austrian philosopher with important contributions in philosophy of science
and in analytic philosophy
.
and philosophy
at the University of Innsbruck. In 1944 he graduated as "Diplom-Volkswirt" and one year later he obtained a PhD in economics. Also at the University of Innsbruck he obtained in 1947 a PhD in philosophy. In 1949 he habilitated
with the thesis "Sein, Wahrheit und Wert in der heutigen Philosophie".
After a stay of one year at the University of Oxford in 1954 he returned to the University of Innsbruck where he was appointed as associate professor for philosophy in 1956. After stays as visiting professor at the Universities of Kiel and Bonn he received a call from the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich. Here in 1958 he was appointed professor for philosophy, logic, and philosophy of sciences and became director of the "Seminar II". Except for two stays at as a visiting professor in 1962/63 and 1964 at the University of Pennsylvania he remained in Munich and ran there a center for analytical philosophy until his retirement in 1990. From 1977 to 1979 he also was dean of the faculty for philosophy, philosophy of science, and statistics.
Stegmüller was from 1966 on a corresponding member of the Austrian Academy of Sciences
and from 1967 on a member of the Bavarian Academy of Sciences and Humanities
. 1972 he became a member of the French Institut International de Philosophie, located in Paris. He also was a member of the International Academy of Science founded in 1980. In 1989 W. Stegmüller was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Innsbruck. After his retirement he was elected as honorary president of the Gesellschaft für Analytische Philosophie (Society for Analytical Philosophy).
in the German
-speaking world. In his inaugural lecture at the University of Innsbruck, he outlined the four problems in epistemology, which he focussed on in his later work:
Here follows an outline of his thoughts:
and Rudolf Carnap
on semantics
and logics as well as those of Kurt Gödel
on mathematical logic
. Later similar works are on "Die Antinomien und ihre Behandlung" (Antinomies
and Their Treatment, 1955) as well as "Strukturtypen der Logik" (Types of Structures of Logic, 1961).
, scepticism, and science
. He demonstrates that any search for epistemological fundamental
s will necessarily lead to the problem of the evidence
- which Stegmüller does not regard as solvable. He also refuses the potential solution that universal skepticism
is self-refuting
. Even if it was self-refuting, universal skepticism can be stated if the skeptic does not try to justify it. In consequence, explicit conditions ("Evidenzvoraussetzungen") are necessary in metaphysics
as well as in science
. This means that neither can be fundamentally justified but do presuppose a decision.
A further focus of Stegmüller's work was phenomenalism
. In "Der Phänomenalismus und seine Schwierigkeiten" (1958), he describes the extreme problems, which hinder a stringent implementation of the phenomentalist program.
, he and several co-workers expanded upon the ideas of Sneed in order to overcome the prevalent rationality crisis of the science that was often regarded as a consequence of Kuhn's works. Furthermore, this led him to a new answer to the problems of theoretical concepts. This line of investigations is today known as structural theory of the empirical sciences
.
Philosophy of science
The philosophy of science is concerned with the assumptions, foundations, methods and implications of science. It is also concerned with the use and merit of science and sometimes overlaps metaphysics and epistemology by exploring whether scientific results are actually a study of truth...
and in analytic philosophy
Analytic philosophy
Analytic philosophy is a generic term for a style of philosophy that came to dominate English-speaking countries in the 20th century...
.
Biography
W. Stegmüller studied economicsEconomics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
and philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
at the University of Innsbruck. In 1944 he graduated as "Diplom-Volkswirt" and one year later he obtained a PhD in economics. Also at the University of Innsbruck he obtained in 1947 a PhD in philosophy. In 1949 he habilitated
Habilitation
Habilitation is the highest academic qualification a scholar can achieve by his or her own pursuit in several European and Asian countries. Earned after obtaining a research doctorate, such as a PhD, habilitation requires the candidate to write a professorial thesis based on independent...
with the thesis "Sein, Wahrheit und Wert in der heutigen Philosophie".
After a stay of one year at the University of Oxford in 1954 he returned to the University of Innsbruck where he was appointed as associate professor for philosophy in 1956. After stays as visiting professor at the Universities of Kiel and Bonn he received a call from the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich. Here in 1958 he was appointed professor for philosophy, logic, and philosophy of sciences and became director of the "Seminar II". Except for two stays at as a visiting professor in 1962/63 and 1964 at the University of Pennsylvania he remained in Munich and ran there a center for analytical philosophy until his retirement in 1990. From 1977 to 1979 he also was dean of the faculty for philosophy, philosophy of science, and statistics.
Stegmüller was from 1966 on a corresponding member of the Austrian Academy of Sciences
Austrian Academy of Sciences
The Austrian Academy of Sciences is a legal entity under the special protection of the Federal Republic of Austria. According to the statutes of the Academy its mission is to promote the sciences and humanities in every respect and in every field, particularly in fundamental research...
and from 1967 on a member of the Bavarian Academy of Sciences and Humanities
Bavarian Academy of Sciences and Humanities
The Bavarian Academy of Sciences and Humanities is an independent public institution, located in Munich. It appoints scholars whose research has contributed considerably to the increase of knowledge within their subject...
. 1972 he became a member of the French Institut International de Philosophie, located in Paris. He also was a member of the International Academy of Science founded in 1980. In 1989 W. Stegmüller was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Innsbruck. After his retirement he was elected as honorary president of the Gesellschaft für Analytische Philosophie (Society for Analytical Philosophy).
Work
Stegmüller can be credited with essential contributiuons to the dissemination of ideas of analytical philosophy and philosophy of sciencePhilosophy of science
The philosophy of science is concerned with the assumptions, foundations, methods and implications of science. It is also concerned with the use and merit of science and sometimes overlaps metaphysics and epistemology by exploring whether scientific results are actually a study of truth...
in the German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
-speaking world. In his inaugural lecture at the University of Innsbruck, he outlined the four problems in epistemology, which he focussed on in his later work:
- The problem of inductionInductive reasoningInductive reasoning, also known as induction or inductive logic, is a kind of reasoning that constructs or evaluates propositions that are abstractions of observations. It is commonly construed as a form of reasoning that makes generalizations based on individual instances...
- The fundamental role of experienceExperienceExperience as a general concept comprises knowledge of or skill in or observation of some thing or some event gained through involvement in or exposure to that thing or event....
- The problem of theoretical concepts
- The problem of scientific explanation
Here follows an outline of his thoughts:
Logic
In his books "Das Wahrheitsproblem und die Idee der Semantik" (The Problem of Truth and the idea of Semantics, 1957), and "Unvollständigkeit und Unentscheidbarkeit" (Incompleteness and Undecidability, 1959) Stegmüller disseminated the ideas of Alfred TarskiAlfred Tarski
Alfred Tarski was a Polish logician and mathematician. Educated at the University of Warsaw and a member of the Lwow-Warsaw School of Logic and the Warsaw School of Mathematics and philosophy, he emigrated to the USA in 1939, and taught and carried out research in mathematics at the University of...
and Rudolf Carnap
Rudolf Carnap
Rudolf Carnap was an influential German-born philosopher who was active in Europe before 1935 and in the United States thereafter. He was a major member of the Vienna Circle and an advocate of logical positivism....
on semantics
Semantics
Semantics is the study of meaning. It focuses on the relation between signifiers, such as words, phrases, signs and symbols, and what they stand for, their denotata....
and logics as well as those of Kurt Gödel
Kurt Gödel
Kurt Friedrich Gödel was an Austrian logician, mathematician and philosopher. Later in his life he emigrated to the United States to escape the effects of World War II. One of the most significant logicians of all time, Gödel made an immense impact upon scientific and philosophical thinking in the...
on mathematical logic
Mathematical logic
Mathematical logic is a subfield of mathematics with close connections to foundations of mathematics, theoretical computer science and philosophical logic. The field includes both the mathematical study of logic and the applications of formal logic to other areas of mathematics...
. Later similar works are on "Die Antinomien und ihre Behandlung" (Antinomies
Antimony
Antimony is a toxic chemical element with the symbol Sb and an atomic number of 51. A lustrous grey metalloid, it is found in nature mainly as the sulfide mineral stibnite...
and Their Treatment, 1955) as well as "Strukturtypen der Logik" (Types of Structures of Logic, 1961).
Epistemology
One of the most influential books of Stegmüller is "Metaphysik, Skepsis, Wissenschaft" (1954). In this work, he discusses the epistemological foundations of metaphysicsMetaphysics
Metaphysics is a branch of philosophy concerned with explaining the fundamental nature of being and the world, although the term is not easily defined. Traditionally, metaphysics attempts to answer two basic questions in the broadest possible terms:...
, scepticism, and science
Science
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
. He demonstrates that any search for epistemological fundamental
Fundamental
Fundamental may refer to:* Foundation of reality* Fundamental frequency, as in music or phonetics, often referred to as simply a "fundamental"...
s will necessarily lead to the problem of the evidence
Evidence
Evidence in its broadest sense includes everything that is used to determine or demonstrate the truth of an assertion. Giving or procuring evidence is the process of using those things that are either presumed to be true, or were themselves proven via evidence, to demonstrate an assertion's truth...
- which Stegmüller does not regard as solvable. He also refuses the potential solution that universal skepticism
Skepticism
Skepticism has many definitions, but generally refers to any questioning attitude towards knowledge, facts, or opinions/beliefs stated as facts, or doubt regarding claims that are taken for granted elsewhere...
is self-refuting
Self-refuting idea
Self-refuting ideas are ideas or statements whose falsehood is a logical consequence of the act or situation of holding them to be true. Many ideas are accused by their detractors of being self-refuting, and such accusations are therefore almost always controversial, with defenders claiming that...
. Even if it was self-refuting, universal skepticism can be stated if the skeptic does not try to justify it. In consequence, explicit conditions ("Evidenzvoraussetzungen") are necessary in metaphysics
Metaphysics
Metaphysics is a branch of philosophy concerned with explaining the fundamental nature of being and the world, although the term is not easily defined. Traditionally, metaphysics attempts to answer two basic questions in the broadest possible terms:...
as well as in science
Science
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
. This means that neither can be fundamentally justified but do presuppose a decision.
A further focus of Stegmüller's work was phenomenalism
Phenomenalism
Phenomenalism is the view that physical objects do not exist as things in themselves but only as perceptual phenomena or sensory stimuli situated in time and in space...
. In "Der Phänomenalismus und seine Schwierigkeiten" (1958), he describes the extreme problems, which hinder a stringent implementation of the phenomentalist program.
Philosophy of science
Stegmüller is regared as one of the leading philosophers of science of the second half of the 20th century. Deeply influenced by Thomas S. Kuhn and Joseph D. SneedJoseph D. Sneed
Joseph D. Sneed is a physicist, and philosopher at the Colorado School of Mines. With his book The Logical Structure of Mathematical Physics, published in 1971, and other important contributions to the philosophy of science he founded the structural theory of the empirical...
, he and several co-workers expanded upon the ideas of Sneed in order to overcome the prevalent rationality crisis of the science that was often regarded as a consequence of Kuhn's works. Furthermore, this led him to a new answer to the problems of theoretical concepts. This line of investigations is today known as structural theory of the empirical sciences
Structuralism (philosophy of science)
Structuralism is a theory of science, reconstructing empirical theories. Its aim is to comprise all important aspects of an empirical theory in one formal framework. The proponents of this meta-theoretic theory are Patrick Suppes, Joseph D. Sneed, Wolfgang Stegmüller, Carlos Ulises Moulines and...
.
Selected publications
- Hauptströmungen der Gegenwartsphilosophie, Bd I-IV, Kröner, 7. Auflage (1989), ISBN 3-520-30807-X
- Unvollständigkeit und Unentscheidbarkeit, 1959
- Das Wahrheitsproblem und die Idee der Semantik, 1957
- Einheit und Problematik der wissenschaftlichen Welterkenntnis, 1967
- Metaphysik-Skepsis-Wissenschaft,1969
- Probleme und Resultate der Wissenschafttheorie und Analytischen Philosophie
- Band I, Erklärung-Begründung-Kausalität, 1983
- Band II, Theorie und Erfahrung, 1974
- 1. Teilband: Theorie und Erfahrung, 1974
- 2. Teilband: Theorienstrukturen und Theoriendynamik, 1985
- 3. Teilband: Die Entwicklung des neuen Strukturalismus seit 1973, 1986
- Band III, Strukturtypen der Logik,1984
- Band IV, Personelle und statistische Wahrscheinlichkeit, 1973
- 1. Halbband: Personelle Wahrscheinlichkeit und rationale Entscheidung, 1973
- 2. Halbband: Statistisches Schließen - Statistische Begründung - Statistische Analyse, 1973
- The Structuralists View of Theories, 1979
- Das Problem der Induktion: Humes Herausforderung und moderne Antworten,
- Philosophy of economics, 1982
- Aufsätze zur Wissenschaftstheorie, 1980
- Rationale Rekonstruktion von Wissenschaft und ihrem Wandel
- Kripkes Deutung der Spätphilosophie Wittgensteins. Kommentarversuch über einen versuchten Kommentar. 1986