Variants of Scientism

Abstract

The views described as „scientistic” often find expression in the form of evaluations or normative, and usually recommend cognitive procedures and methods patterned after natural sciences. Those who address the scientistic directives to philosophers can be recognized as representatives of the metaphilosophical scientism: they promote „a scientific philosophy” and assume primarily the methodological-imitative attitude towards (natural) science. The one who addresses the scientistic directives to scholars in the humanities and social science can be recognized as a representative of metascientific type of scientism, promoting „the unity of science” and assuming the methodological-normative attitude towards the mentioned disciplines.

The term „scientism” also often represents a specific outlook on life understood as „popular scientistic philosophy”: it addresses the scientistic directives to all members of a society, and promotes convictions concerning an exceptional public mission of science which should have not only a cognitive, but also a practical character. The central appeal of the article is following: do not confuse the metascientific and metaphilosophical scientism - with the „popular” one!