Scientific concepts and investigative practice

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Recent philosophy and history of science have increasingly focused on the role of concepts in scientific research, shifting attention from theories to concepts as primary units of analysis. Scholars investigate how concepts are formed and utilized, emphasizing the context of discovery alongside the context of justification. This volume presents detailed case studies and analyses addressing critical questions, such as the distinction between concepts and the beliefs associated with their referents, the separation of concepts from theories, and the differentiation between empirical and theoretical concepts. It also explores the similarities and differences in the roles of concepts within empirical sciences and mathematics. Furthermore, it considers the underlying notions of investigative practice that could clarify the role of concepts and questions whether the distinction between discovery and justification is a useful framework for understanding research dynamics. Lastly, it examines the historiographical implications of focusing on concepts, particularly the risk of reverting to a traditional history of ideas.