Demarcation Metaphysics
A philosophical project that seeks a single, necessary and sufficient criterion to separate science from non‑science once and for all. Demarcation metaphysics assumes that the boundary is real, fixed, and discoverable, rather than a human convention that shifts over time. It drives the search for “the” demarcation criterion (falsifiability, problem‑solving, research programme) that has repeatedly failed. Demarcation metaphysics is an impossible quest that distracts from more productive discussions about knowledge and its evaluation.
Example: “His paper proposed a new demarcation criterion, the fifth this decade. Demarcation metaphysics: the endless search for a perfect line that doesn’t exist.”
Metaphysics of Science
A branch of philosophy that examines the fundamental assumptions and entities of science: what are laws of nature? What is causation? Do unobservable entities exist? It is a legitimate and important field. However, when the metaphysics of science is treated as the only legitimate ontology, it can become a form of hegemony, dismissing other metaphysical systems (e.g., process philosophy, hylomorphism) as unscientific. Used critically, it illuminates; used dogmatically, it excludes.
Example: “He argued that only particles are real, dismissing the reality of fields as ‘mathematical fiction.’ The metaphysics of science, turned into dogma.”
Metaphysics of Science
A branch of philosophy that examines the fundamental assumptions and entities of science: what are laws of nature? What is causation? Do unobservable entities exist? It is a legitimate and important field. However, when the metaphysics of science is treated as the only legitimate ontology, it can become a form of hegemony, dismissing other metaphysical systems (e.g., process philosophy, hylomorphism) as unscientific. Used critically, it illuminates; used dogmatically, it excludes.
Example: “He argued that only particles are real, dismissing the reality of fields as ‘mathematical fiction.’ The metaphysics of science, turned into dogma.”
Demarcation Metaphysics by Abzugal May 22, 2026
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