Science Philosophy: A Contemporary Advanced Tutorial

Author: (USA) Rosenberg
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-11-01
Features: All cultures that come into contact with science eventually adopt it, and in this regard, science may be a unique Western institution. The scope, nature, and methods of science have been continuously debated throughout its history. Natural science not only poses fundamental questions for philosophers but also shapes theories about the nature of reality and our understanding of the scope of knowledge about reality. This book elucidates some profound philosophical issues raised by science by examining enduring questions such as the nature, methods, and justifications of science. Grasping the nature of explanation, laws, causality, theories, models, evidence, reductionism, probability, teleology, realism, and instrumentalism in science is essentially equivalent to confronting the same issues endlessly explored by Plato, Aristotle, Descartes, Hume, Kant, and their successors. Science philosophy is a central branch of philosophy, and this clear, reader-friendly textbook is particularly suitable as an introductory reading for science philosophy and as a reference for students majoring in science. It possesses the following textbook features: each chapter includes a "Summary" and "Conclusion"; diverse and clear supporting cases from science; numerous discussion questions; detailed reference readings listed at the end of each chapter; and a glossary at the end of the book.