Professor Seungbae Park of the School of Liberal Arts at UNIST has published a significant new book titled, 《Induction, Science, and Morality》with Springer, one of the world’s leading academic publishers. Notably, Professor Park is the only Korean researcher to have authored two specialized monographs in the field of philosophy of science published by Springer, marking a milestone for Korean scholars in this discipline.
This book was written at the invitation of Professor Otávio Bueno, the editor-in-chief of Springer’s Synthese and the Synthese Library book series, and offers critical insights into one of the most enduring problems in philosophy: Hume’s problem of induction.
In the volume, Professor Park critically examines the challenge posed by David Hume—that induction cannot be justified—and explores alternative approaches to defending scientific realism against skeptics. Moving beyond traditional debates, the book develops “counter-inductions” to counter pessimistic views and advocates a realist perspective on scientific progress.
Furthermore, Professor Park enriches philosophical discourse by introducing a novel metaethical framework called ‘Moral Functionalism.’ While science primarily deals with factual propositions, ethics concerns normative imperatives—what ought to be done. The book sheds light on the fundamental nature of moral statements through the lens of moral functionalism, offering fresh perspectives on moral philosophy.
Since joining UNIST in 2009, Professor Park has published over 80 papers in top-tier scholarly journals and released his first book,《Embracing Scientific Realism》, in 2022. He expressed his enthusiasm about his latest work, stating, “It is deeply rewarding to see my research cited by graduate students at overseas institutions, enabling them to complete their doctoral studies.” He further added, “At UNIST, where all coursework is conducted in English, every discussion with students sparks new insights into my research.”
