Philosophy of Science

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Publisher : W. W. Norton
ISBN 13 : 9780393919035
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.9/5 (19 download)

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Book Synopsis Philosophy of Science by : Martin Curd

Download or read book Philosophy of Science written by Martin Curd and published by W. W. Norton. This book was released on 2013 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A flexible and comprehensive introduction to the main currents in philosophy of science.

General Philosophy of Science: Focal Issues

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Publisher : Elsevier
ISBN 13 : 9780080548548
Total Pages : 708 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (485 download)

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Book Synopsis General Philosophy of Science: Focal Issues by :

Download or read book General Philosophy of Science: Focal Issues written by and published by Elsevier. This book was released on 2007-07-18 with total page 708 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Scientists use concepts and principles that are partly specific for their subject matter, but they also share part of them with colleagues working in different fields. Compare the biological notion of a 'natural kind' with the general notion of 'confirmation' of a hypothesis by certain evidence. Or compare the physical principle of the 'conservation of energy' and the general principle of 'the unity of science'. Scientists agree that all such notions and principles aren't as crystal clear as one might wish. An important task of the philosophy of the special sciences, such as philosophy of physics, of biology and of economics, to mention only a few of the many flourishing examples, is the clarification of such subject specific concepts and principles. Similarly, an important task of 'general' philosophy of science is the clarification of concepts like 'confirmation' and principles like 'the unity of science'. It is evident that clarfication of concepts and principles only makes sense if one tries to do justice, as much as possible, to the actual use of these notions by scientists, without however following this use slavishly. That is, occasionally a philosopher may have good reasons for suggesting to scientists that they should deviate from a standard use. Frequently, this amounts to a plea for differentiation in order to stop debates at cross-purposes due to the conflation of different meanings. While the special volumes of the series of Handbooks of the Philosophy of Science address topics relative to a specific discipline, this general volume deals with focal issues of a general nature. After an editorial introduction about the dominant method of clarifying concepts and principles in philosophy of science, called explication, the first five chapters deal with the following subjects. Laws, theories, and research programs as units of empirical knowledge (Theo Kuipers), various past and contemporary perspectives on explanation (Stathis Psillos), the evaluation of theories in terms of their virtues (Ilkka Niiniluto), and the role of experiments in the natural sciences, notably physics and biology (Allan Franklin), and their role in the social sciences, notably economics (Wenceslao Gonzalez). In the subsequent three chapters there is even more attention to various positions and methods that philosophers of science and scientists may favor: ontological, epistemological, and methodological positions (James Ladyman), reduction, integration, and the unity of science as aims in the sciences and the humanities (William Bechtel and Andrew Hamilton), and logical, historical and computational approaches to the philosophy of science (Atocha Aliseda and Donald Gillies). The volume concludes with the much debated question of demarcating science from nonscience (Martin Mahner) and the rich European-American history of the philosophy of science in the 20th century (Friedrich Stadler). Comprehensive coverage of the philosophy of science written by leading philosophers in this field Clear style of writing for an interdisciplinary audience No specific pre-knowledge required

Science, Policy, and the Value-Free Ideal

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Publisher : University of Pittsburgh Pre
ISBN 13 : 082297357X
Total Pages : 227 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (229 download)

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Book Synopsis Science, Policy, and the Value-Free Ideal by : Heather Douglas

Download or read book Science, Policy, and the Value-Free Ideal written by Heather Douglas and published by University of Pittsburgh Pre. This book was released on 2009-07-15 with total page 227 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The role of science in policymaking has gained unprecedented stature in the United States, raising questions about the place of science and scientific expertise in the democratic process. Some scientists have been given considerable epistemic authority in shaping policy on issues of great moral and cultural significance, and the politicizing of these issues has become highly contentious. Since World War II, most philosophers of science have purported the concept that science should be “value-free.” In Science, Policy and the Value-Free Ideal, Heather E. Douglas argues that such an ideal is neither adequate nor desirable for science. She contends that the moral responsibilities of scientists require the consideration of values even at the heart of science. She lobbies for a new ideal in which values serve an essential function throughout scientific inquiry, but where the role values play is constrained at key points, thus protecting the integrity and objectivity of science. In this vein, Douglas outlines a system for the application of values to guide scientists through points of uncertainty fraught with moral valence. Following a philosophical analysis of the historical background of science advising and the value-free ideal, Douglas defines how values should-and should not-function in science. She discusses the distinctive direct and indirect roles for values in reasoning, and outlines seven senses of objectivity, showing how each can be employed to determine the reliability of scientific claims. Douglas then uses these philosophical insights to clarify the distinction between junk science and sound science to be used in policymaking. In conclusion, she calls for greater openness on the values utilized in policymaking, and more public participation in the policymaking process, by suggesting various models for effective use of both the public and experts in key risk assessments.

Recent Developments in the Philosophy of Science: EPSA13 Helsinki

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Publisher : Springer
ISBN 13 : 3319230158
Total Pages : 391 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (192 download)

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Book Synopsis Recent Developments in the Philosophy of Science: EPSA13 Helsinki by : Uskali Mäki

Download or read book Recent Developments in the Philosophy of Science: EPSA13 Helsinki written by Uskali Mäki and published by Springer. This book was released on 2015-09-09 with total page 391 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume showcases the best of recent research in the philosophy of science. A compilation of papers presented at the EPSA 13, it explores a broad distribution of topics such as causation, truthlikeness, scientific representation, gender-specific medicine, laws of nature, science funding and the wisdom of crowds. Papers are organised into headings which form the structure of the book. Readers will find that it covers several major fields within the philosophy of science, from general philosophy of science to the more specific philosophy of physics, philosophy of chemistry, philosophy of the life sciences, philosophy of psychology, and philosophy of the social sciences and humanities, amongst others. This volume provides an excellent overview of the state of the art in the philosophy of science, as practiced in different European countries and beyond. ​It will appeal to researchers with an interest in the philosophical underpinnings of their own discipline, and to philosophers who wish to explore the latest work on the themes explored.

Recent Themes in the Philosophy of Science

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Publisher : Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN 13 : 9781402008313
Total Pages : 252 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (83 download)

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Book Synopsis Recent Themes in the Philosophy of Science by : S. Clarke

Download or read book Recent Themes in the Philosophy of Science written by S. Clarke and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2002-08-31 with total page 252 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume brings together ten original, thematically-related papers, written by prominent figures in the philosophy of science in Australasia and elsewhere. The contributed papers are focused on two fundamental issues in contemporary philosophy of science, the status of scientific realism and the relationship between science and commonsense. The contemporary scientific realism debate turns on the viability of the claims that science aims at truth and that we can justifiably believe that science has achieved or approximated this aim. Several papers in the collection constitute original contributions to this debate. Other papers explore what appears to be an increasingly divergent relationship between the scientific and commonsense images of the world. This volume is a valuable resource for all who are interested in and engaged by contemporary philosophy of science.

Philosophy of Science: Very Short Introduction

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Publisher : Oxford University Press
ISBN 13 : 0191062782
Total Pages : 160 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (91 download)

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Book Synopsis Philosophy of Science: Very Short Introduction by : Samir Okasha

Download or read book Philosophy of Science: Very Short Introduction written by Samir Okasha and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2016-07-21 with total page 160 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How much faith should we place in what scientists tell us? Is it possible for scientific knowledge to be fully 'objective'? What, really, can be defined as science? In the second edition of this Very Short Introduction, Samir Okasha explores the main themes and theories of contemporary philosophy of science, and investigates fascinating, challenging questions such as these. Starting at the very beginning, with a concise overview of the history of science, Okasha examines the nature of fundamental practices such as reasoning, causation, and explanation. Looking at scientific revolutions and the issue of scientific change, he asks whether there is a discernible pattern to the way scientific ideas change over time, and discusses realist versus anti-realist attitudes towards science. He finishes by considering science today, and the social and ethical philosophical questions surrounding modern science. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

Philosophy of Chemistry

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Publisher : Leuven University Press
ISBN 13 : 9789058670632
Total Pages : 268 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (76 download)

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Book Synopsis Philosophy of Chemistry by : Jaap Brakel

Download or read book Philosophy of Chemistry written by Jaap Brakel and published by Leuven University Press. This book was released on 2000 with total page 268 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book addresses themes in the newly emerging discipline of philosophy of chemistry, in particular issues in connection with discussions in general philosophy of science on natural kinds, reduction and ceteris paribus laws. The philosophical issue addressed in all chapters is the relation between, on the one hand, the manifest image (the daily practice or common-sense-life-form) and on the other the scientific image, both of which claim to be the final arbiter of "everything."With respect to chemistry, the question raised is this: Where does this branch of science fit in, with the manifest or scientific image? Most philosophers and chemists probably would reply unhesitatingly, the scientific image. The aim of this book is to raise doubts about that self-evidence. It is argued that chemistry is primarily the science of manifest substances, whereas "micro" or "submicro" scientific talk--though important, useful, and insightful--does not change what matters, namely the properties of manifest substances.These manifest substances, their properties and uses cannot be reduced to talk of molecules or solutions of the Schrödinger equation. If "submicroscopic" quantum mechanics were to be wrong, it would not affect all (or any) "microlevel" chemical knowledge of molecules. If molecular chemistry were to be wrong, it wouldn't disqualify knowledge of, say, water--not at the "macrolevel" (e.g. its viscosity at 50 C), nor at the pre- or protoscientific manifest level (e.g. ice is frozen water).

Understanding Philosophy of Science

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Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 1134597908
Total Pages : 312 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (345 download)

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Book Synopsis Understanding Philosophy of Science by : James Ladyman

Download or read book Understanding Philosophy of Science written by James Ladyman and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2012-08-06 with total page 312 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Few can imagine a world without telephones or televisions; many depend on computers and the Internet as part of daily life. Without scientific theory, these developments would not have been possible. In this exceptionally clear and engaging introduction to philosophy of science, James Ladyman explores the philosophical questions that arise when we reflect on the nature of the scientific method and the knowledge it produces. He discusses whether fundamental philosophical questions about knowledge and reality might be answered by science, and considers in detail the debate between realists and antirealists about the extent of scientific knowledge. Along the way, central topics in philosophy of science, such as the demarcation of science from non-science, induction, confirmation and falsification, the relationship between theory and observation and relativism are all addressed. Important and complex current debates over underdetermination, inference to the best explaination and the implications of radical theory change are clarified and clearly explained for those new to the subject.

The Scientific Image

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Publisher : Oxford University Press
ISBN 13 : 9780198244271
Total Pages : 260 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (442 download)

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Book Synopsis The Scientific Image by : Bas C. Van Fraassen

Download or read book The Scientific Image written by Bas C. Van Fraassen and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 1980-12-11 with total page 260 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this book van Fraassen develops an alternative to scientific realism by constructing and evaluating three mutually reinforcing theories.

Current Issues in the Philosophy of Science

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Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 506 pages
Book Rating : 4.F/5 ( download)

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Book Synopsis Current Issues in the Philosophy of Science by : American Association for the Advancement of Science. Section on History and Philosophy of Science

Download or read book Current Issues in the Philosophy of Science written by American Association for the Advancement of Science. Section on History and Philosophy of Science and published by . This book was released on 1961 with total page 506 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This collection of six symposia, with 24 prominent philosophers and scientists participating, concentrates on many of the most significant issues and controversies at the frontiers of philosophical and scientific enlightenment. The discussions clarify basic issues and problems and go on to suggest new avenues for their resolution. Each contribution is original; none has been published before. These fascinating give-and-take sessions among eminent thinkers simulate the reader to do his own thinking about fundamental problems in the logic and methodology of science. Among the problems discussed are the epistemological foundations of science, the logic of quantum theory, philosophy of space and time, and methodology of psychology. -- from dust jacket.

EPSA11 Perspectives and Foundational Problems in Philosophy of Science

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Publisher : Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN 13 : 3319013068
Total Pages : 489 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (19 download)

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Book Synopsis EPSA11 Perspectives and Foundational Problems in Philosophy of Science by : Vassilios Karakostas

Download or read book EPSA11 Perspectives and Foundational Problems in Philosophy of Science written by Vassilios Karakostas and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2013-12-16 with total page 489 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book contains a selection of original conference papers covering all major fields in the philosophy of science, that have been organized into themes. The first section of this volume begins with the formal philosophy of science, moves on to idealization, representation and explanation and then finishes with realism, anti-realism and special science laws. The second section covers the philosophy of the physical sciences, looking at quantum mechanics, spontaneous symmetry breaking, the philosophy of space and time, linking physics and metaphysics and the philosophy of chemistry. Further themed sections cover the philosophies of the life sciences, the cognitive sciences and the social sciences. Readers will find that this volume provides an excellent overview of the state of the art in the philosophy of science, as practiced in different European countries. ​

Current Controversies in Philosophy of Science

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Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 1317497147
Total Pages : 314 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (174 download)

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Book Synopsis Current Controversies in Philosophy of Science by : Shamik Dasgupta

Download or read book Current Controversies in Philosophy of Science written by Shamik Dasgupta and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2020-10-27 with total page 314 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Current Controversies in Philosophy of Science asks twelve philosophers to debate six questions that are driving contemporary work in this area of philosophy. The questions are: I. Are Boltzmann Brains Bad? II. Does Mathematical Explanation Require Mathematical Truth? III. Does Quantum Mechanics Suggest Spacetime is Nonfundamental? IV. Is Evolution Fundamental When It Comes to Defining Biological Ontology? V. Is Chance Ontologically Fundamental? VI. Are Sexes Natural Kinds? These debates explore the philosophical foundations of particular scientific disciplines, while also examining more general issues in the philosophy of science. The result is a book that’s perfect for the advanced philosophy student, building up their knowledge of the foundations of the field and engaging with its cutting-edge questions. Preliminary descriptions of each chapter, annotated lists of further readings for each controversy, and study questions for each chapter help provide clearer and richer snapshots of active controversies for all readers.

The Problem of Knowledge

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Publisher : Yale University Press
ISBN 13 : 9780300010985
Total Pages : 356 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (19 download)

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Book Synopsis The Problem of Knowledge by : Ernst Cassirer

Download or read book The Problem of Knowledge written by Ernst Cassirer and published by Yale University Press. This book was released on 1950-01-01 with total page 356 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Cassirer employs his remarkable gift of lucidity to explain the major ideas and intellectual issues that emerged in the course of nineteenth century scientific and historical thinking. The translators have done an excellent job in reproducing his clarity in English. There is no better place for an intelligent reader to find out, with a minimum of technical language, what was really happening during the great intellectual movement between the age of Newton and our own."-- New York Times. -- Publisher description.

Issues and Images in the Philosophy of Science

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Publisher : Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN 13 : 940115788X
Total Pages : 418 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (11 download)

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Book Synopsis Issues and Images in the Philosophy of Science by : D. Ginev

Download or read book Issues and Images in the Philosophy of Science written by D. Ginev and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2012-12-06 with total page 418 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Azarya Polikarov was born in Sofia on October 9, 1921. Through the many stages of politics, economy, and culture in Bulgaria, he maintained his rational humanity and scientific curiosity. He has been a splendid teacher and an accomplished critical philosopher exploring the conceptual and historical vicis situdes of physics in modern times and also the science policies that favor or threaten human life in these decades. Equally and easily at home both within the Eastern and Central European countries and within the Western world. Polikarov is known as a collaborating genial colleague, a working scholar. not at all a visiting academic tourist. He understands the philosophy of science from within, in all its developments, from the classical beginnings through the great ages of Galilean, Newtonian. Maxwellian science. to the times of the stunning discoveries and imaginative theories of his beloved Einstein and Bohr of the twentieth century. Moreover, his understanding has come along with a deep knowledge of the scientific topics in themselves. Looking at our Appendix listing his principal publications, we see that Polikarov's public research career, after years of science teaching and popular science writing, began in the fifties in Bulgarian, Russian and German journals.

New Philosophy of Social Science

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Publisher : Polity
ISBN 13 : 9780745614083
Total Pages : 278 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (14 download)

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Book Synopsis New Philosophy of Social Science by : James Bohman

Download or read book New Philosophy of Social Science written by James Bohman and published by Polity. This book was released on 1994-06-13 with total page 278 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Now available in paperback, this book offers an original introduction to the philosophy of social science, emphasising new post-empiricist approaches.

Philosophy of Logic

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Publisher : Elsevier
ISBN 13 : 9780080466637
Total Pages : 1218 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (666 download)

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Book Synopsis Philosophy of Logic by :

Download or read book Philosophy of Logic written by and published by Elsevier. This book was released on 2006-11-29 with total page 1218 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The papers presented in this volume examine topics of central interest in contemporary philosophy of logic. They include reflections on the nature of logic and its relevance for philosophy today, and explore in depth developments in informal logic and the relation of informal to symbolic logic, mathematical metatheory and the limiting metatheorems, modal logic, many-valued logic, relevance and paraconsistent logic, free logics, extensional v. intensional logics, the logic of fiction, epistemic logic, formal logical and semantic paradoxes, the concept of truth, the formal theory of entailment, objectual and substitutional interpretation of the quantifiers, infinity and domain constraints, the Löwenheim-Skolem theorem and Skolem paradox, vagueness, modal realism v. actualism, counterfactuals and the logic of causation, applications of logic and mathematics to the physical sciences, logically possible worlds and counterpart semantics, and the legacy of Hilbert’s program and logicism. The handbook is meant to be both a compendium of new work in symbolic logic and an authoritative resource for students and researchers, a book to be consulted for specific information about recent developments in logic and to be read with pleasure for its technical acumen and philosophical insights. - Written by leading logicians and philosophers - Comprehensive authoritative coverage of all major areas of contemporary research in symbolic logic - Clear, in-depth expositions of technical detail - Progressive organization from general considerations to informal to symbolic logic to nonclassical logics - Presents current work in symbolic logic within a unified framework - Accessible to students, engaging for experts and professionals - Insightful philosophical discussions of all aspects of logic - Useful bibliographies in every chapter

Integrating History and Philosophy of Science

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Publisher : Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN 13 : 9400717458
Total Pages : 251 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (7 download)

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Book Synopsis Integrating History and Philosophy of Science by : Seymour Mauskopf

Download or read book Integrating History and Philosophy of Science written by Seymour Mauskopf and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2011-09-06 with total page 251 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Though the publication of Kuhn's Structure of Scientific Revolutions seemed to herald the advent of a unified study of the history and philosophy of science, it is a hard fact that history of science and philosophy of science have increasingly grown apart. Recently, however, there has been a series of workshops on both sides of the Atlantic (called '&HPS') intended to bring historians and philosophers of science together to discuss new integrative approaches. This is therefore an especially appropriate time to explore the problems with and prospects for integrating history and philosophy of science. The original essays in this volume, all from specialists in the history of science or philosophy of science, offer such an exploration from a wide variety of perspectives. The volume combines general reflections on the current state of history and philosophy of science with studies of the relation between the two disciplines in specific historical and scientific cases.