The Philosophy of ScienceRichard Boyd, Philip Gasper, J. D. Trout MIT Press, 1991 - 800 pages Readings that chart the rise and decline of logical positivism and the emergence of a new consensus, emphasizing the relation between theoretical and applied questions. The more than forty readings in this anthology cover the most important developments if the past six decades, charting the rise and decline of logical positivism and the gradual emergence of a new consensus concerning the major issues and theoretical options in the field. The editors have included articles on all the major special sciences and emphasize the relation between the more theoretical and applied questions. Part One deals with basic theoretical issues: confirmation, semantics, and the interpretation of theories; causation and explanation; and reductionism and the unity of science. In Part Two, these relatively abstract themes are illustrated and examined further in light of issues in the various special sciences including physics, biology, psychology, and social science. |
Contents
Chapter | 20 |
Chapter 1 | 37 |
Chapter 2 | 57 |
Chapter 3 | 71 |
Chapter 4 | 85 |
Chapter 5 | 99 |
The Empirical Basis | 112 |
Chapter 7 | 139 |
Section I | 463 |
Chapter 26 | 485 |
Chapter 27 | 501 |
Chapter 28 | 517 |
Introductory Essay | 545 |
Chapter 31 | 570 |
Chapter 32 | 589 |
Section III | 605 |
Chapter 8 | 159 |
Chapter 10 | 187 |
Chapter 12 | 223 |
Chapter 13 | 247 |
Chapter 14 | 261 |
Chapter 15 | 279 |
Laws and Their Role in Scientific Explanation | 299 |
Chapter 17 | 317 |
Chapter 19 | 349 |
The Reality of Causes in a World of Instrumental Laws | 379 |
Chapter 21 | 393 |
Chapter 23 | 429 |
Chapter 24 | 443 |
Chapter 34 | 631 |
Chapter 35 | 651 |
Chapter 36 | 671 |
Chapter 37 | 687 |
Section IV | 713 |
Chapter 39 | 733 |
Chapter 40 | 743 |
Chapter 41 | 763 |
Glossary | 775 |
783 | |
789 | |