A survey of the philosophy of science from positivism to social constr uctivism, this book focuses on the ontological implications of science . An innovative feature is the author's use of immunology as a source of descriptive examples, thus providing lively illustrations from a li fe science with universal appeal and allowing continuity throughout th is volume. The coverage of Quinean holism and supervenience clarify co ncepts which have been often misunderstood, while the discussion of th e Kuhnian model of science rectifies the distortions it underwent due to misuse in the past. Feminist...

Scientific Inquiry: Readings in the Philosophy of Science features an impressive collection of classical and contemporary readings on a wide range of issues in the philosophy of science. The volume is organized into six sections, each with its own introduction, and includes a general introduction that situates the philosophy of science in relation to other areas of intellectual inquiry. The selections focus on the main issues in the field, including the structure of scientific theories, models of scientific explanation, reductionism, historicist challenges to the objectivity of...