The Metaphysics of Science (eBook)

An Account of Modern Science in Terms of Principles, Laws and Theories

Craig Dilworth (Autor)

eBook Download: PDF

2007 | 2nd ed. 2007
XVI, 333 Seiten
Springer Netherland (Verlag)
978-1-4020-3838-9 (ISBN)

Infos

This book provides a clear, well-founded conception of modern science. The views advanced are not only novel, but they constitute an alternative that is superior to both the empiric-analytic and the sociology of knowledge approaches that are prevalent today. Furthermore, the book provides a resolution of the long-standing debate between empiricism and realism, and it gives a coherent view that transcends the boundaries of the professional philosophy of science.

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The roots of this work lie in my earlier book, Scientific Progress, which first appeared in 1981. One of its topics, the distinction - tween scientific laws and theories, is there treated with reference to the same distinction as drawn by N. R. Campbell in his Physics: The Elements. Shortly after completing Scientific Progress, I read Rom Harre's The Principles of Scientific Thinking, in which the concept of theory is even more clearly delineated than in Campbell, being directly connected to the notion of a model - as it was in my book. In subsequent considerations regarding science, Harre's work thus - came my main source of inspiration with regard to theories, while Campbell's remained my main source with respect to empirical laws. Around the same time I also read William Whewell's Philosophy of the Inductive Sciences. In this work, Whewell depicts principles as playing a central role in the formation of science, and conceives of them in much the same way as Kant conceives of fundamental synthetic a priori judgements. The idea that science should have principles as a basic element immediately made sense to me, and from that time I have thought of science in terms of laws, theories and principles.

Inhalt

Preface. Introduction.
1. Empiricism vs. realism - the perennial debate in the philosophy of science.
2. Fundamental and refined principles: the core of modern science.
3. Empirical laws: the supervention of experience.
4. Scientific theories: closing the circle.
5. The principle-theory-law model of scientific explanation.
6. The social sciences: a consideration of economics.
7. Natural kinds.
8. Probability and confirmation.
9. Empiricism vs. realism revisited.
10. Modern science and the future.
References. Index.

Produkt-Details

• Erscheint lt. Verlag: 4.10.2007
• Reihe/Serie: Boston Studies in the Philosophy and History of Science
• Reihe/Serie: Boston Studies in the Philosophy and History of Science
• Zusatzinfo: XVI, 333 p.
• Verlagsort: Dordrecht
• Sprache: englisch
• Themenwelt: Geisteswissenschaften ► Philosophie ► Allgemeines / Lexika
• Themenwelt: Geisteswissenschaften ► Philosophie ► Erkenntnistheorie / Wissenschaftstheorie
• Themenwelt: Geisteswissenschaften ► Philosophie ► Metaphysik / Ontologie
• Themenwelt: Naturwissenschaften
• Schlagworte: Evolution • Experience • Knowledge • Laws • Metaphysics • philosophy of science • Principles • Probability • reduction • Science • Theories
• ISBN-10: 1-4020-3838-0 / 1402038380
• ISBN-13: 978-1-4020-3838-9 / 9781402038389