Sandra Mitchell

Sandra Mitchell ( born 1951 ) is Professor of Philosophy and History of Science at the University of Pittsburgh. Your areas of interest are the philosophy of biology and the philosophy of social science. Are known among other their work on methodological issues in the study of complex systems, particularly in biology.

Life

Mitchell earned her bachelor's degree in 1973 in Philosophy at Pitzer College in California. In 1975, a master at the London School of Economics, 1987, including the doctoral degree at the University of Pittsburgh.

Mitchell researched both at Ohio State University (1985-1989) and at the University of California at San Diego (1993-1999) before 2000 was appointed professor at the University of Pittsburgh. Research visits they led during the 1990s at the Center for Interdisciplinary Research at Bielefeld University and the Institute for Advanced Study Berlin.

The integrative pluralism

As their influences Rudolf Carnap calls Mitchell, Karl Popper, Imre Lakatos and Thomas Samuel Kuhn. Their epistemological position they referred to as " integrative pluralism ". The scientific description of complex systems holds a pluralism of different levels of explanation and models essential to the selection of the most appropriate level should be guided by pragmatic considerations. Mitchell emphasizes the ceaseless development of scientific knowledge. Prompts you to adapt decisions and methods to the current requirements and new insights, and to review current best explanations at different levels continuously on their tolerability.

Works

• Biological Complexity and Integrative Pluralism, Cambridge University Press, 2003. ISBN 9780521817530
• Complexities. Why do we even begin to understand the world. , Suhrkamp, ​​2008. ISBN 978-3-518-26001-2