Larry Laudan (b. Austin, Texas, 1941) is a contemporary philosopher of science and epistemologist. He has strongly criticized the traditions of positivism, realism, and relativism, and he has defended a view of science as a privileged and progressive institution against popular challenges. Laudan's philosophical view of "research traditions" is seen as an important alternative to Imre Lakatos's "research programs." ^[1]

His most important contributions to the philosophy of science can be found in his book Progress and its Problems (1977) while acting as chair of the history and philosophy of science department at the University of Pittsburgh. Laudan charges philosophers of science with paying lip service to the view that “science is fundamentally a problem-solving activity” without taking seriously the view's implications for the history of science and its philosophy, and without questioning certain issues in the historiography and methodology of science. Against empiricism, which is represented by Karl Popper, and "revolutionism," represented by Thomas Kuhn, Laudan maintained in Progress and its Problems that science is an evolving process that accumulates more empirically validated evidence while solving conceptual anomalies at the same time. Mere evidence collecting or empirical confirmation does not constitute the true mechanism of scientific advancement; conceptual resolution and comparison of the solutions of anomalies provided by various theories form an indispensable part of the evolution of science.

In Beyond Positivism and Relativism, Laudan wrote that "the aim of science is to secure theories with a high problem-solving effectiveness" and that scientific progress is possible when empirical data is diminished. "Indeed, on this model, it is possible that a change from an empirically well-supported theory to a less well-supported one could be progressive, provided that the latter resolved significant conceptual difficulties confronting the former."^[2] Finally, the better theory solves more conceptual problems while minimizing empirical anomalies.

Laudan has also written on the subject of terrorism. He has argued that "moral outrage and compassion are the proper responses to terrorism, but fear for oneself and one's life is not. The risk that the average American will be a victim of terrorism is extremely remote."^[3]

Laudan is currently a researcher at the Institute for Philosophical Investigations of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) and works primarily on legal epistemology.

Select Writings by Laudan[link]

• 1977. Progress and its Problems: Towards a Theory of Scientific Growth, ISBN 978-0-520-03721-2
• 1981. Science and Hypothesis
• 1984. Science and Values, ISBN 978-0-520-05743-2
• 1990. Science and Relativism: Dialogues on the Philosophy of Science, ISBN 978-0-226-46949-2
• 1995. The Book of Risks
• 1996. Beyond Positivism and Relativism, ISBN 978-0-8133-2469-2
• 1997. Danger Ahead
• 2006. Truth, Error and Criminal Law: An Essay in Legal Epistemology

References[link]

External links[link]

• Larry Laudan (www.larrylaudan.com)
• Pragmatism Cybrary Profile

Willie Revillame (born in Manila, January 27, 1961) is a television host, actor, comedian and a recording artist in the Philippines.

Career[link]

He is the host of TV5's primetime variety show Wil Time Bigtime (originally launched as Willing Willie). He was a host of GMA Network's noontime variety show Lunch Date, as well as ABS-CBN's noontime shows Magandang Tanghali Bayan and Wowowee.

Revillame is developing a real estate business, the Wil Tower Mall near ABS-CBN Eugenio Lopez Drive in Quezon City, expected to be completed in September 2011.^[1]

Personal life[link]

Revillame married Liz Almoro in a civil ceremony at Lipa, Batangas in March 2005 officiated by Vilma Santos. This was followed shortly by a church wedding in June 2005. Prior to his marriage to Almoro, Revillame was married to actress Princess Punzalan.^[2][3]

Controversies[link]

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On February 4, 2006, while Revillame was hosting Wowowee, the PhilSports Arena stampede occurred. On August 24, 2007, the Department of Justice dismissed criminal charges against Revillame in connection with the stampede. However, Justice Secretary Gonzalez affirmed the charge against 14 others, including ABS-CBN officials.^[4]

In the August 3, 2009 episode of Wowowee, during which the show was interrupted for live coverage of the transfer of President Cory Aquino's remains from La Salle Greenhills to the Manila Cathedral, Revillame said that he could not make people happy while the entire country was mourning. The Alliance of Filipino Journalists denounced his remarks as a sign of disrespect towards Aquino. Revillame said he had no intention of defaming the former president and her family.^[5] ABS-CBN senior executive Cory Vidanes said the network supported Revillame's action, stating that his outburst did not run afoul of the Broadcast Code of the Philippines.^[6] Network entertainment official Johnny Manahan said Revillame was correct in saying that the footage should not have been inserted, but the way he said it was wrong.^[7]

On March 12, 2011, a "macho dance" by an apparently unhappy six-year-old boy on Revillame's new show, Willing Willie, resulted in criticism, including the Philippine Department of Social Welfare and Development describing it as a case of child abuse. Revillame “sincerely and deeply” apologized for the segment, “which viewers may have found offensive or in bad taste.” ^{[8][9][10][11]} The Commission on Human Rights is pursuing an investigation of the program for violating the law.^[12]

Filmography[link]

Television[link]

Discography[link]

Albums[link]

Star Records

• Wowowillie (September 2005)^[14]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Willie Revillame at the Internet Movie Database