Stance Pluralism, Scientology, and the Problem of Relativism

Inspired by Bas van Fraassen’s Stance Empiricism, Anjan Chakravartty has developed a pluralistic account of what he calls epistemic stances towards scientific ontology. In this paper, I examine whether Chakravartty’s stance pluralism can exclude that licence pseudo-scientific practices like those found in Scientology. argue it cannot. is therefore prone to form debilitating relativism. Consequently, we need (1) some ground or constraint relation which be ranked degrees, and (2) way demarcate science from pseudo-science so know are about. Regarding (1), empirical detectability serve as the degrees. (2), for ranking sciences on continuum according established institutional criteria, rather than attempting draw strict demarcation.