Dear all, our next speaker in the Philosophy of Science Colloquium organized by the Institute Vienna Circle is Alexander Reutlinger (LMU), who will give a talk on March 20, 4.45-6.15 pm. All are welcome! ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Philosophy of Science Colloquium TALK: Alexander Reutlinger (LMU) WHY STRATEGIC SCIENCE SKEPTICS ARE NOT “MODERN-DAY GALILEOS”. DEBUNKING THE ARGUMENT FROM SCIENTIFIC REVOLUTIONS Philosophy of Science Colloquium The Institute Vienna Circle holds a Philosophy of Science Colloquium with talks by our present fellows. Date: 20/03/2025 Time: 16h45 Venue: New Institute Building (NIG), Universitätsstraße 7, 1010 Wien, HS 3A Abstract: Strategic science skeptics criticize scientific claims solely to promote non-epistemic (for instance, political and economic) goals. Strategic science skeptics present arguments to support their criticisms of scientific claims. In this paper, I will analyze and debunk a neglected argument exploited by strategic science skeptics: the argument from scientific revolutions (aka the "Galileo gambit"). According to this skeptical argument, strategic science skeptics liken themselves to key figures in scientific revolutions throughout the history of science - in particular, to Galileo Galilei - in order to enhance the credibility of their own claims. In this talk, I will argue that the argument from scientific revolutions is not sound, because at least one of its premises (stating that skeptics are, like Galileo Galilei, revolutionary scientists) is false.