UNIST Professor Seungbae Park Publishes Specialized Book: "Induction, Science, and Morality"

First Korean Researcher Publishes Two Specialized Books with Springer
Presents a Critical Perspective on the "Problem of Induction"
and Introduces Moral Functionalism

Seungbae Park, a professor in the Department of Humanities at UNIST (President: Jongrae Park), has published the book Induction, Science, and Morality with the world-renowned academic publisher Springer.

Cover of the book Induction, Science, and Morality.

Professor Park is the only Korean researcher to have published two specialized books in the field of philosophy of science with Springer. This book was written at the invitation of Professor Bueno, the editor-in-chief of Springer's philosophy division.

Seungbae Park UNIST Professor.

In this book, Professor Park develops a philosophical discussion centered on the problem of induction. The problem of induction refers to the challenge raised by the 18th-century British philosopher Hume, which asserts that induction cannot be justified.

Professor Park points out that Hume used induction in raising this problem and presents a critical perspective on this. The problem of induction has been tackled by many philosophers over the past 300 years, but it remains unresolved.

Additionally, in the field of metaethics, he introduces a new theory called Moral Functionalism, offering a fresh perspective on the nature of normative propositions in ethics.

While science deals with factual propositions, ethics addresses normative propositions. In other words, science focuses on facts, whereas ethics discusses what ought to be done. Through Moral Functionalism, this book aims to clarify the fundamental nature of normative propositions.

Since joining UNIST in 2009, Professor Park has published over 80 papers in SCI-indexed journals and, in 2022, released his first specialized book, Embracing Scientific Realism.

He stated, "As a researcher, I feel a sense of fulfillment when I see overseas graduate students citing the books and papers I published at UNIST in their doctoral dissertations." He added, "Since UNIST conducts 100% of its lectures in English, I gain new insights into my research every time I engage in discussions with students in English."

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