Professor Yurii Duplenko passed away on October 18, 2024, at the age of 89.

The XXXI Conference of the Baltic Association of the History and Philosophy of Science (BAHPS) was held on 13–16 June 2024 on the premises of the University of Tartu, Estonia. The conference titled ‘Scientific Instruments in History and Philosophy of Science, Technology and Medicine’ celebrated the bicentennial anniversary of the completion and acquisition of the large astronomical instrument. The telescope, called the Great Dorpat Refractor, was made by Joseph Fraunhofer and until now remains housed in the same place—the Old Observatory (...) of the Tartu University. (shrink)

Based on archival documents and published sources, the article attempts to identify and evaluate the main features of the process of establishing applied research institutes and organising their activities in Vilnius during the first two postwar decades. This period marked the formation of the institutes’ organisational structure and formulation of the main directions of their activities. The developments of this period in the history of the research institutes can be attributed primarily to the efforts of the academic community in Vilnius (...) to mobilise the scientific potential that had survived the postwar years and to plan research that was more relevant to the Lithuanian context at a time of strict Soviet ideologisation and regulation of activities. In postwar Vilnius, applied research and studies were first initiated at the institutes of the then Health Commissariat. The postwar situation also meant that the research institutes established in Vilnius under the Academy of Sciences focused on applied and natural sciences. The structure and specialisation of these institutions was based on the organisational model of the Academy of Sciences of the Soviet Union. However, the aim in Lithuania was to align research as much as possible to the needs of the region and to upgrade the qualifications of young Lithuanian scientists. The sources and published data discussed in this article reveal that the further specialisation of the main applied and theoretical research areas, pursued at the institutes of the Academy of Sciences, took place between 1956 and 1965. (shrink)

This historical essay presents an analysis of the origins and development of modern pharmacognosy in Ukraine and explores the founding and development of the Department of Pharmacognosy at the National University of Pharmacy (NUPh, Kharkiv), providing an overview of the department`s history, a framework of its educational and methodological processes, primary research directions, and its main achievements. The paper also includes biographical data and outlines the main scientific and pedagogical achievements of prominent individuals who made a significant contribution to the (...) development and formation of pharmacognostic and pharmaceutical science and education in Ukraine. Over the years, the staff of the pharmacognosy department has authored and published 14 monographs, 8 standard training programs, 25 textbooks, practical guides, and training manuals, 47 lecture notes, and 103 educational and methodological developments. Furthermore, 16 doctoral and 77 candidate theses have been defended at the Department of Pharmacognosy. The staff has also secured 63 author’s certificates and 171 patents, and published about 1,050 articles, 1,060 abstracts, and 16 monographs. In addition, the department has developed numerous medicinal products and therapeutic as well as preventive items that have been introduced into medical practice. These achievements create a solid background for the department’s fruitful development and future success. (shrink)

Born in Chicago in 1888 to a family of Polish immigrants, Jacob Bolotin is a remarkable figure in the history of science. Despite being born completely blind and the many challenges he had to face in his youth, he managed to become a sought-after medical professional, an excellent pulmonologist, and the first blind physician in history. His story and activities remain highly inspirational today, as they convey a powerful message about the importance of an inclusive environment and the potential of (...) people with low or no sight. (shrink)

Following the first part of this article series, I will examine the notion of φ-sciences’ φ-ness on the example of Vihalemm’s early chemical studies on affinity and both early and later accounts of the periodic table. I analyse these cases as instances where he applies the term ‘measure’ or ‘qualitative quantity’ to denote a numerical assignment, presumably attained by some measurement procedures, that capture the essence of the studied phaenomenon. I will draw conclusions about measurement scales, the numericity and mathematicity (...) of these case studies and, more generally, make a further attempt to theoretically clarify measurement in φ-sciences. (shrink)

The purpose of the article is to identify the forms of being of science in the philosophy of the Muslim thinker Abū Naṣr Muhammad al-Fārābī, who lived in the 9th–10th centuries. In this regard, the article first addresses the problem of the origin of science. The enumeration of sciences is manifested in al-Farabi’s research as “divine science,” that is, metaphysics and individual sciences, with a Muslim specificity. Science as a process of cognition is an ascent from the imperfect to the (...) perfect. The First Cause (the First Being) of everything is the absolute perfection. It is also a deity and the “cause” of the origin of sciences. The comprehensive encyclopedism of al-Farabi’s predetermined science is a kind of worldview. In this context, he distinguished between the science of language, logic, mathematics, physics, metaphysics, and civil science, which explains the essence of real happiness. Only members of the ideal community (“the inhabitants of a virtuous city”) are able to achieve happiness. Therefore, the study of sciences in totality creates the respective “virtuous” worldview. (shrink)

The article examines the system of engineering education in European countries, analyzing the formation of polytechnical education in France on the example of l'École Polytechnique (the Polytechnic School of Paris), which became the foundation of the French educational model and influenced the subsequent development of engineering education not only in France but also in Europe. The article also highlights the process of preparing engineering professionals in Germany, one of the features of which was the introduction of vocational training. It was (...) a type of study separate from the general system, with funding coming from local budgets or private sponsors. This strengthened the role of technical universities, which focused not only on the transmission of accumulated knowledge but also on fostering motivation for learning and scientific activities. The curricula of technical universities gradually expanded to include components of physics, mechanics, mathematics, and chemistry. (shrink)

The work of Georges Matisse (1874–1961), a French physicist, philosopher, epistemologist, and translator, has been largely overlooked, particularly his contributions to the history of science in the first half of the 20th century. His work focused on the emerging field of cybernetics and provided a philosophical perspective on new physics. His books delved into the philosophical underpinnings of scientific doctrines, viewing them as systems of reference and modes of representation rather than expressions of absolute truths. Although he could not personally (...) attend the Copenhagen Congress for the Unity of Science in 1936, his talk was presented, offering a unique case study on uncertainty and determinism. Matisse employed an expanded notion of causality to study concrete facts in human societies, arguing against a universal law of history. His final book was dedicated to Bachelard. This paper offers initial insights into Matisse’s sociology program, discusses his methodological approaches within logical empiricism, and outlines his perspective on the purpose of nature. The study concludes that Matisse’s interdisciplinary approach, which included a theory on the relationship between religion and science, was based on his robust understanding of biophysics and scientific history. (shrink)

Etymologically, pseudoscience means false science. The term is often explained as referring to claims or teachings that are presented as scientific but are in fact not scientific. Any understanding of the notion of pseudoscience must therefore build on both an understanding of what science is and a clarification of what forms of errors or misrepresentations make a statement pseudoscientific instead of scientific.

The Estonian philosopher Rein Vihalemm (1938–2015) wished to reform realism in the philosophy of science. He was dissatisfied with the mainstream analytic philosophy of science—scientific realism and the various anti-realisms alike. He considered these approaches theory-driven and hence too distanced from actual scientific practice. His alternative, which he called practical realism, was inspired and influenced by Joseph Rouse’s original reading of Thomas Kuhn. Moreover, Vihalemm viewed as important some lessons from Marxism, which was prevalent in Estonian philosophy during the Soviet (...) occupation. For him, Marx himself inaugurated practical realism with his novel notion of practice that does not consider agency distinct from nature. He also mentions Kant, interpreted in a realistic manner, as a significant influence for his thesis that concepts only apply to practice. In this article, I will critically examine practical realism from the standpoint of classical pragmatism. My primary question is: what kind of realism practical realism can possibly be. (shrink)

In this article, I analyse the role of the concepts of ‘practice,’ ‘relations,’ and ‘process’ in Rein Vihalemm’s philosophy of science and the way he defined and articulated these concepts to study the production of scientific knowledge. Then, following Vihalemm’s line of reasoning, I will show how this approach is promising for thinking in a new way about some developments in contemporary sciences and technology.

Rein Vihalemm has defined the concept of φ-sciences primarily through scientific models, while emphasising that they are empirical sciences. His specification of such sciences includes references to Galileo, Kant, and Heidegger, but lacks in detail and, most notably, fails to explicate how the models of these sciences are linked to the material world they aim to describe. I first analyse Galileo’s theoretical proceedings in terms of preplanning, the essence of phaenomena, and mathematicity, which can either explicitly or implicitly be viewed (...) as important characteristics of φ-sciences, acknowledged by Vihalemm. Based on this new clarification and additional sources, I will then explore φ-scientific measurement as the link between models and matter and discuss whether Galileo’s own measurements can be regarded as such. (shrink)

The current issue, titled The Philosophical Legacy of Rein Vihalemm: Reflections and Expansions, is a sequel to previous publications that have paid tribute to the work and legacy of Rein Vihalemm (1938–2015), all supported by the Estonian Research Council (grant PRG462). In 2019, Vihalemm’s 1981 philosophically informed history of chemistry was translated from Estonian and published as a special summer issue of Acta Baltica Historiae et Philosophiae Scientiarum (Vihalemm, 2019).

In this article, I present my view that only through value conflicts can we become aware of the relevant values influencing science. The discussion about values in science has been ongoing for the past decades; unfortunately, a crucial part of the discussion—value awareness—has not been addressed. This article tries to bridge this gap by focusing on the problem of value recognition through analyzing several cases of value conflicts. I will show that unless some value conflict occurs, the values influencing science (...) remain invisible to us. This means that to discuss the relevant influences of values in science, we need to focus on value conflicts occurring in science. Only then can we recognize the values influencing science and have a meaningful debate about them. This article is the first foray into the issue of value recognition and can help clarify some unaddressed issues in the values in science debate. (shrink)