Andreas Bikfalvi, Head of Team 01 – Tumor and Vascular Biology Laboratory.

“The notion of Truth in the Biomedical Sciences”

The notion of truth has been debated extensively by philosophers and scientists alike for centuries. Relativist and absolutist/objectivist philosophies have a complete different understanding of the value attached to this notion. In this presentation, I will discuss a number of issues related to the notion of truth in the biomedical sciences. I will first lay out different meanings and forms of truth and then discuss how this relates to the notion of causality. I will then describe how the biomedical science produces “truth” and lay down the different ways to achieve this (induction, causal inference, falsification, Baysian approach, etc..).

I will then illustrate this by citing examples from the medical history and present-day biomedical research related to infectious disease, vascular biology and cancer research. I will then show that a strong relativist epistemology is incompatible with the way biomedical science obtains knowledge. Thus, in my view, a realistic notion of truth is central to achieve a sound understanding of physiology and pathology, and for the development of therapies grounded in a correct knowledge of disease.

June 21 at 2 p.m., IBGC conference room, Carreire.

Photo ©Gautier DUFAU

The recording is online!