Central and East European
Society for Phenomenology

Repository | Journal | Volume | Article

234668

Poincaré's aesthetics of science

Milena Ivanova

pp. 2581-2594

Abstract

This paper offers a systematic analysis of Poincaré’s understanding of beauty in science. In particular, the paper examines the epistemic significance Poincaré attributes to aesthetic judgement by reconstructing and analysing his arguments on simplicity and unity in science. I offer a consistent reconstruction of Poincaré’s account and show that for Poincaré simplicity and unity are regulative principles, linked to the aim of science—that of achieving understanding of how phenomena relate. I show how Poincaré’s account of beauty in science can be incorporated within his wider philosophy of science.

Publication details

Published in:

Hüttemann Andreas (2017) Causation and structuralism. Synthese 194 (7).

Pages: 2581-2594

DOI: 10.1007/s11229-016-1069-1

Full citation:

Ivanova Milena (2017) „Poincaré's aesthetics of science“. Synthese 194 (7), 2581–2594.