A Companion to the Philosophy of Science

ISBN-13: 9780631170242 / Angielski / Twarda / 2000 / 592 str.

William H. Newton-Smith

Opis

Unmatched in the quality of its world-renowned contributors, this companion serves as both a course text and a reference book across the broad spectrum of issues of concern to the philosophy of science.

Recenzje

"This volume is a tremendous compendium of the topics that comprise philosophy of science. For almost any topic, the reader can find a brief up–to–date statement of the problems and current solutions. It is an invaluable reference book for students and scholars alike. It will be especially useful for those in other fields who wish to gain some quick, authoritative knowledge of what′s going on in philosophy of science today." Peter Machamer, University of Pittsburgh

"This is everything that one looks for in a companion and much more. It covers the field fully, fairly, and concisely. The entries are well written and truly informative, with excellent guides to further reading. No one interested in the nature of science can afford to be without this volume." Michael Ruse, University of Guelph

"This Companion provides an impressive overview of the imposing geography in philosophy of science." Roy Sorensen, Dartmouth College

"This is an important reference work in the area." F. Wilson, University of Toronto

"Companion to the Philosophy of Science is an ambitious project given the rapid growth and specialisation of science in the past 50 years. The essays are naturally short but sweet, wide–ranging, mostly well referenced, and serve as excellent aperitifs. The book has many distinguished contributors. Companion to the Philosophy of Science is a delightful and clear book. It is highly recommended for critical undergraduate students and anyone with wide intellectual interests." Ray Scott Percival, THES, 6th April 2001

"This is an excellent volume to which anyone working in the field of philosophy of science will want to have access. The entries are of a high standard, and give expression to a considerable range of philosophical opinions – so there is both information and food for thought to be obtained from perusal of them." Graham Oppy, Monash University, Australasian Journal of Philosophy, Vol. 79, No. 2, June 2001

"This is a valuable resource for anyone who is interested in the philosophy of science, with up–to–date articles written by well–known philosophers reflecting the full range of issues and thinkers of concern to the contemporary discipline." The Journal of the Society for the History of Alchemy & Chemistry, Vol. 50, March 2003

Spis treści

List of Contributors.

Preface.

List of Logical Symbols.

Introduction.

1. Axiomatization (Frederick Suppe).

2. Berkeley (M. Hughes).

3. Biology (Paul Thompson).

4. Bohr (Dugald Murdoch).

5. Causation (Paul Humphreys).

6. Cognitive Approaches to Science (Ronald N. Giere).

7. Computing (Leslie Burkholder).

8. Confirmation, Paradoxes of (J.D. Trout).

9. Convention, Role of (Lawrence Sklar).

10. Craig′s Theorem (Frederick Suppe).

11. Darwin (Samir Okasha).

12. Definitions (Frederick Suppe).

13. Descartes (Tom Sorell).

14. Discovery (Thomas Nickles).

15. Dispositions and Powers (Rom Harre).

16. Einstein (Christopher Ray).

17. Evidence and Confirmation (Colin Howson).

18. Experiment (David C. Gooding).

19. Explanation (W. H. Newton–Smith).

20. Feminist Accounts of Science (Kathleen Okruhlik).

21. Feyerabend (John Preston).

22. Galileo (Robert AE. Butts).

23. History, Role in the Philosophy of Science (Brendsan Larvor).

24. Holism (Christopher Hookway).

25. Hume (W. H. Newton–Smith).

26. Idealization (Yemima Ben–Menahem).

27. Incommensurability (Muhammad Ali Khalidi).

28. Induction and the Uniformity of Nature (Colin Howson).

29. Inference to the best Explanation (Peter Lipton).

30. Judgment, Role in Science (Harold I. Brown).

31. Kuhn (Richard Rorty).

32. Lakatos (Thomas Nickles).

33. Laws of Nature (Rom Harre).

34. Leibniz (William Seager).

35. Locke (G.A. J. Rogers).

36. Logical Empiricism (Wesley C. Salmon).

37. Logical Positivism (Christopher Ray).

38. Mathematics, Role in Science (James Robert Brown).

39. Mathematics, Role in Science (James Robert Brown).

40. Measurement (J.D. Ttrout).

41. Metaphor in Science (Eleonora Montuschi).

42. Metaphysics, Role in Science (William Seager).

43. Mill (Geoggrey Scarre).

44. Models and Analogies (Mary Hesse).

45. Naturalism (Ronald N. Giere).

46. Natural Kinds (John Dupre).

47. Newton (Richard S. Westfall).

48. Observation and Theory (Peter Achinstein).

49. Pierce (Cheryl Misak).

50. Physicalism (William Seager).

51. Popper (John Watkins).

52. Pragmatic Factors in Theory Acceptance (John Worrall).

53. Probability (Philip Percival).

54. Qualities, Primary and Secondary (G.A.J. Rogers).

55. Quantum Mechanics (Richard Healey).

56. Quine (Lars Bergstrom).

57. Ramsey Sentences (Frederick Suppe).

58. Realism and Instrumentalism (Jarrett Leplin).

59. Reductionism (John Dupre).

60. Relativism 9James W. Mcallister).

61. Russell (Paul J. Hager).

62. Scientific Methodology (Gary Gutting).

63. Scientific Methodology (Gary Gutting).

64. Simplicity (Elliott Sober).

65. Social Factors in Science (James Robert Brown).

66. Social Science, Philosophy of (Alex Rosenberg).

67. Space, Time, and Relativity (Lawrence4 Sklar).

68. Statistical Explanation (Christopher Read Hitchock and Wesley C. Salmon).

69. Superveneince and Determination (William Seager).

70. Technology, Philosophy of (Mary Tiles).

71. Teleological Explanation (Andrew Woodfield).

72. Theoretical Terms: Meaning and Reference A(Philip Percival).

73. Theories (Ronald N. Giere).

74. Theory Identity (Frederick Suppe).

75. Thought Experiments (James Robert Brown).

76. Underdetermination of theory by Data (W.H. Newton–Smith).

77. Unification of Theories (James W. Mcallister).

78. The Unity of Science (C.A. Hooker).

79. Values in Science (Ernan McMullin).

80. Verisimilitude (Chris Brink).

81. Whewell (John Wettersten).

Index.

O autorze

W.H. Newton–Smith is Fairfax Fellow and CUF Lecturer in the Department of Philosophy at Balliol College, Oxford. He is an expert in the fields of philosophy of science, philosophy of mind, and logic, and has written several books and articles among which are Modeling the Mind (1990), The Rationality of Science (1991) and Popper in China (1992). Among the many universities around the world at which he has taught are the University of Malaya, the University of Nijmegen in the Netherlands, Wuhan University in China, Aarhus University in Denmark, Boconni University in Milan and Toronto, Trent, St Francis Xavier, and Queen′s Universities in Canada.

Blurb

Unmatched in the quality of its world–renowned contributors, A Companion to the Philosophy of Science serves as both a course text and a reference book across the broad spectrum of issues of concern in the philosophy of science.

Taken as a whole, the volume provides an unparalleled survey of all the topical areas, major methods, and stances in the philosophy of science. With entries on important figures in the history of the philosophy of science, as well as a comprehensive account of areas of contemporary interest, this Companion is the most authoritative resource guide available in the philosophy of science.