Epistemological Criteria for the Holistic Understanding of Science

Abstract

The evolution of epistemology has unfolded in tandem with the development of science. While epistemology is an offshoot of philosophy, its consolidation as a field of knowledge occurs around science specifically its processes, methods, and manifestations. This allows epistemology to serve as a philosophical gaze upon science, while simultaneously developing a scientific perspective of philosophy. However, the operational core of epistemology revolves around the critique of science, with the purpose of noting contributions, recognizing initiatives, identifying shortcomings, and discovering opportunities. A distinctive feature defines it: language, notations, denotations, and connotations, as well as symbolic modes and other expressive resources, constitute the specific logic of the epistemological imprint, positioning it as a formal discipline. The historical progression of epistemology and its subsequent formalization especially during the final decades of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21^st have favored the emergence of an integral, syntagmatic, and holistic understanding of science. This is because such a proposal has required scientific activity, in conjunction with philosophical knowledge, to consolidate the theoretical corpus and establish the didactic and methodological precisions required for the specialized task of "doing science." And subsequently, "doing epistemology."