Philosophy of science : a contemporary introduction / Alex Rosenberg.

By:

Material type: Text

TextLanguage: English Series: Routledge contemporary introductions to philosophyPublication details: New York : Routledge, 2012.Edition: 3rd edDescription: xii, 308 p. ; 25 cmISBN:

9780415891769 (hardback)
9780415891776 (pbk.)
9780203807514 (ebook)

Subject(s):

DDC classification:

501 22 ROS

Other classification:

PHI000000 | SCI075000

Contents:

Cover Title Copyright Dedication Contents Preface 1 Philosophy and Science Overview What Is Philosophy? Philosophy and the Emergence of the Sciences Science and the Divisions of Philosophy What if There Are No Questions Left Over when Science Is Finished? A Short History of Philosophy as the Philosophy of Science Summary Study Questions Suggested Readings 2 Why Is Philosophy of Science Important? Overview Scientifc Questions and Questions about Science Modern Science Has Implications for Philosophy The Cultural Signifcance of Science Why Is Science the Only Feature of Western Culture Universally Adopted? Summary Study Questions Suggested Readings 3 Scientifc Explanation Overview Defning Scientifc Explanation The Role of Laws in Scientifc Explanation The Covering Law Model Problems for the Covering Law Model A Competing Conception of Scientifc Explanation Summary Study Questions Suggested Readings 4 Why Do Laws Explain? Overview What Is a Law of Nature? Counterfactual Support as a Symptom of the Necessity of Laws Counterfactuals and Causation Coming to Grips with Nomic Necessity Denying the Obvious? Summary Study Questions Suggested Readings 5 Causation, Inexact Laws and Statistical Probabilities Overview Causes as Explainers Ceteris Paribus Laws Statistical Laws and Probabilistic Causes Explanation as Unifcation Summary Study Questions Suggested Readings 6 Laws and Explanations in Biology and the “Special Sciences” Overview Dissatisfaction with Causal Explanations Proprietary Laws in the “Special Sciences” Functional Laws and Biological Explanations Explaining Purposes or Explaining Them Away? From Intelligibility to Necessity Summary Study Questions Suggested Readings 7 The Structure of Scientifc Theories Overview How Do Theories Work? The Example of Newtonian Mechanics Theories as Explainers: The Hypothetico-Deductive Model The Philosophical Signifcance of Newtonian Mechanics and Theories Summary Study Questions Suggested Readings 8 Epistemic and Metaphysical Issues About Scientifc Theories Overview Reduction, Replacement and the Progress of Science The Problem of Theoretical Terms Scientifc Realism vs. Antirealism Summary Study Questions Suggested Readings 9 Theory Construction vs. Model Building Overview Theories and Models Semantic vs. Syntactic Approaches to Theories and Models A Case Study: Darwin’s Theory of Natural Selection Models and Theories in Evolutionary Biology Summary Study Questions Suggested Readings 10 Induction and Probability Overview The Problem of Induction Statistics and Probability to the Rescue? How Much Can Bayes’ Theorem Really Help? Summary Study Questions Suggested Readings 11 Confrmation, Falsifcation, Underdetermination Overview Epistemological Problems of Hypothesis Testing Induction as a Pseudo-Problem: Popper’s Gambit Underdetermination Summary Study Questions Suggested Readings 12 Challenges from the History of Science Overview A Role for History in the Philosophy of Science? New Paradigms and Scientifc Revolutions Are Scientifc Research Programs Rational? Summary Study Questions Suggested Readings 13 Naturalism in the Philosophy of Science Overview Quine and the Surrender of First Philosophy Naturalism, Multiple Realizability and Supervenience Naturalism’s Problem of Justifcation Summary Study Questions Suggested Readings 14 The Contested Character of Science Overview Methodological Anarchism The “Strong Program” in the Sociology of Scientifc Knowledge Postmodernism and the Science Wars Does the Sokal Hoax Prove Anything? Scientism, Sexism and Signifcant Truths Summary Study Questions Suggested Readings 15 Science, Relativism and Objectivity Overview Relativism and Conceptual Schemes Dealing with Incommensurability Conclusion: The Very Idea of a Conceptual Scheme Study Questions Suggested Readings Glossary Bibliography Index

Summary: "Any serious student attempting to better understand the nature, methods, and justification of science will value Alex Rosenberg's updated and substantially revised Third Edition of Philosophy of Science: A Contemporary Introduction. Weaving lucid explanations with clear analyses, the volume is as a much-used, thematically oriented introduction to the field. New features of the Third Edition include more coverage of the history of the philosophy of science, more fully developed material on the metaphysics of causal and physical necessity, more background on the contrast between empiricism and rationalism in science, and new material on the structure of theoretical science (with expanded coverage of Newtonian and Darwinian theories and models) and the realism/antirealism controversy. Rosenberg also divides the Third Edition into fourteen chapters, aligning each chapter with a week in a standard semester-long course. Updated Discussion Questions, Glossary, Bibliography and Suggested Readings lists at the end of each chapter will make the Third Edition indispensable, either as a comprehensive stand-alone text or alongside the many wide ranging collections of articles and book excerpts currently available. "--

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Holdings
Item type	Current library	Collection	Call number	Status	Date due	Barcode
General Books	CUTN Central Library Sciences	Non-fiction	501 ROS (Browse shelf(Opens below))	Available		49637

Includes bibliographical references (p. [293]-298) and index.

Cover
Title
Copyright
Dedication
Contents
Preface
1 Philosophy and Science
Overview
What Is Philosophy?
Philosophy and the Emergence of the Sciences
Science and the Divisions of Philosophy
What if There Are No Questions Left Over when Science Is Finished?
A Short History of Philosophy as the Philosophy of Science
Summary
Study Questions
Suggested Readings
2 Why Is Philosophy of Science Important?
Overview
Scientifc Questions and Questions about Science
Modern Science Has Implications for Philosophy
The Cultural Signifcance of Science
Why Is Science the Only Feature of Western Culture Universally Adopted?
Summary
Study Questions
Suggested Readings
3 Scientifc Explanation
Overview
Defning Scientifc Explanation
The Role of Laws in Scientifc Explanation
The Covering Law Model
Problems for the Covering Law Model
A Competing Conception of Scientifc Explanation
Summary
Study Questions
Suggested Readings
4 Why Do Laws Explain?
Overview
What Is a Law of Nature?
Counterfactual Support as a Symptom of the Necessity of Laws
Counterfactuals and Causation
Coming to Grips with Nomic Necessity
Denying the Obvious?
Summary
Study Questions
Suggested Readings
5 Causation, Inexact Laws and Statistical Probabilities
Overview
Causes as Explainers
Ceteris Paribus Laws
Statistical Laws and Probabilistic Causes
Explanation as Unifcation
Summary
Study Questions
Suggested Readings
6 Laws and Explanations in Biology and the “Special Sciences”
Overview
Dissatisfaction with Causal Explanations
Proprietary Laws in the “Special Sciences”
Functional Laws and Biological Explanations
Explaining Purposes or Explaining Them Away?
From Intelligibility to Necessity
Summary
Study Questions
Suggested Readings
7 The Structure of Scientifc Theories
Overview
How Do Theories Work? The Example of Newtonian Mechanics
Theories as Explainers: The Hypothetico-Deductive Model
The Philosophical Signifcance of Newtonian Mechanics and Theories
Summary
Study Questions
Suggested Readings
8 Epistemic and Metaphysical Issues About Scientifc Theories
Overview
Reduction, Replacement and the Progress of Science
The Problem of Theoretical Terms
Scientifc Realism vs. Antirealism
Summary
Study Questions
Suggested Readings
9 Theory Construction vs. Model Building
Overview
Theories and Models
Semantic vs. Syntactic Approaches to Theories and Models
A Case Study: Darwin’s Theory of Natural Selection
Models and Theories in Evolutionary Biology
Summary
Study Questions
Suggested Readings
10 Induction and Probability
Overview
The Problem of Induction
Statistics and Probability to the Rescue?
How Much Can Bayes’ Theorem Really Help?
Summary
Study Questions
Suggested Readings
11 Confrmation, Falsifcation, Underdetermination
Overview
Epistemological Problems of Hypothesis Testing
Induction as a Pseudo-Problem: Popper’s Gambit
Underdetermination
Summary
Study Questions
Suggested Readings
12 Challenges from the History of Science
Overview
A Role for History in the Philosophy of Science?
New Paradigms and Scientifc Revolutions
Are Scientifc Research Programs Rational?
Summary
Study Questions
Suggested Readings
13 Naturalism in the Philosophy of Science
Overview
Quine and the Surrender of First Philosophy
Naturalism, Multiple Realizability and Supervenience
Naturalism’s Problem of Justifcation
Summary
Study Questions
Suggested Readings
14 The Contested Character of Science
Overview
Methodological Anarchism
The “Strong Program” in the Sociology of Scientifc Knowledge
Postmodernism and the Science Wars
Does the Sokal Hoax Prove Anything?
Scientism, Sexism and Signifcant Truths
Summary
Study Questions
Suggested Readings
15 Science, Relativism and Objectivity
Overview
Relativism and Conceptual Schemes
Dealing with Incommensurability
Conclusion: The Very Idea of a Conceptual Scheme
Study Questions
Suggested Readings
Glossary
Bibliography
Index

"Any serious student attempting to better understand the nature, methods, and justification of science will value Alex Rosenberg's updated and substantially revised Third Edition of Philosophy of Science: A Contemporary Introduction. Weaving lucid explanations with clear analyses, the volume is as a much-used, thematically oriented introduction to the field. New features of the Third Edition include more coverage of the history of the philosophy of science, more fully developed material on the metaphysics of causal and physical necessity, more background on the contrast between empiricism and rationalism in science, and new material on the structure of theoretical science (with expanded coverage of Newtonian and Darwinian theories and models) and the realism/antirealism controversy. Rosenberg also divides the Third Edition into fourteen chapters, aligning each chapter with a week in a standard semester-long course. Updated Discussion Questions, Glossary, Bibliography and Suggested Readings lists at the end of each chapter will make the Third Edition indispensable, either as a comprehensive stand-alone text or alongside the many wide ranging collections of articles and book excerpts currently available. "--

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