1936 – 2023
Ian Hacking (1936–2023) was a Canadian philosopher of science and mathematics, widely regarded as one of the most original analytic philosophers of the twentieth century. He is best known for his concept of 'looping effects of human kinds,' his historical epistemology of probability and statistical reasoning, and his nuanced account of social construction that distinguishes what is and is not usefully described as constructed. His book The Social Construction of What? (1999) remains a landmark intervention in debates over relativism and scientific realism.
Developed the theory of 'looping effects of human kinds,' showing that classifying people interacts with and transforms those classified
Authored The Emergence of Probability (1975), a landmark history of how probabilistic thinking became possible in early modern Europe
Argued for 'entity realism': we can be realist about entities we can experimentally manipulate, independent of theoretical descriptions
Wrote The Taming of Chance (1990), tracing the rise of statistical reasoning and its effects on concepts of determinism and free will
Introduced the concept of 'styles of scientific reasoning,' showing how distinct modes of argument constitute what counts as evidence