1. Lack of Objective Grounds: Conventionalism suggests that scientific knowledge is based on shared conventions and agreements within the scientific community. Critics argue that this approach undermines the objectivity of scientific knowledge by making it dependent on subjective choices rather than empirical evidence and rational reasoning.
2. Arbitrary and Subjective Nature: Critics contend that conventionalism lacks a clear criterion to determine which conventions are valid or superior to others. This can lead to arbitrary decision-making and disagreements within the scientific community about what constitutes acceptable knowledge.
3. Neglect of Empirical Evidence: Conventionalism tends to downplay the role of empirical evidence in the development of scientific knowledge. Critics argue that it overlooks the importance of observation, experimentation, and data collection in establishing the truth or validity of scientific theories.
4. Limited Scope: Conventionalism may be inadequate in explaining certain aspects of scientific progress, such as the role of creativity, serendipity, and individual insight in the formulation of new ideas and theories.
5. Incompatibility with Scientific Realism: Conventionalism conflicts with scientific realism, which posits that scientific theories aim to describe an objective reality independent of human conventions and agreements. Realists argue that conventionalism undermines the ontological status of scientific theories and their correspondence to the external world.
6. Difficulty Explaining Novel Predictions: Conventionalism struggles to account for the ability of scientific theories to make novel predictions and explain new phenomena. Critics argue that conventions alone cannot fully explain how scientific theories can anticipate and accurately describe previously unobserved events or entities.
7. Historical Relativism: Some critics contend that conventionalism leads to historical relativism, suggesting that scientific knowledge is merely a product of its cultural and historical context, without any claim to objective or universal truth. This raises concerns about the reliability and validity of scientific knowledge over time.
Overall, while conventionalism theory provides insights into the social and communal aspects of scientific knowledge production, its limitations lie in its potential subjectivity, neglect of empirical evidence, incompatibility with scientific realism, and difficulty explaining the objectivity and predictive power of scientific theories.