Larry Laudan
Larry Laudan (1941–2022) was an American philosopher of science known for his problem-solving account of scientific progress, the notion of research traditions, and influential critiques of both scientific realism and relativism. He later contributed to the epistemology of law and evidence.
Books
This list of books are ONLY the books that have been ranked on the lists that are aggregated on this site. This is not a comprehensive list of all books by this author.
-
1. Truth, Error, And Criminal Law
An Essay in Legal Epistemology
A provocative work in legal epistemology that argues criminal adjudication should be governed by truth-seeking and the minimization of both false convictions and false acquittals. It critiques entrenched doctrines—such as the vagueness of “beyond a reasonable doubt,” the exclusionary rule, and deference to Blackstone’s ratio—for often impeding accurate fact-finding, and urges decision-theoretic, evidence-based reforms to calibrate standards of proof, burdens, and evidentiary practices. Drawing on probability and cost-sensitive analysis, it proposes redesigning procedures to reduce total error rates while maintaining robust protections for the innocent.
Purchase from Bookshop.org -
2. Progress And Its Problems
Toward a Theory of Scientific Growth
A philosophical analysis of scientific change that rejects both cumulative truth and paradigm-based relativism, proposing that progress is best understood as increased problem-solving effectiveness within competing research traditions. It distinguishes empirical from conceptual problems and evaluates traditions by how many significant problems they solve relative to the new difficulties they generate. Through historical case studies, it offers a pragmatic, comparative account of rational theory choice and scientific growth without presuming convergence on truth.
Purchase from Bookshop.org -
3. Cuisine And Empire
Cooking in World History
A global history of cooking that shows how cuisines have been continually reshaped by shifting empires, religions, and technologies, moving from ancient grain-and-broth traditions to modern industrial and national foodways. It traces how power, trade, and the Columbian Exchange reordered ingredients and tastes; how medical theories and moral hierarchies once organized menus; and how professional kitchens, restaurants, and home technologies transformed labor and expertise. By linking culinary styles to political ideals—from hierarchical courtly orders to egalitarian and fast-food models—it explains why cuisines rise, spread, and decline, and how contemporary debates over authenticity, nutrition, and globalization emerged.