What Is This Thing Called Science?Every ten years, Alan Chalmers draws on his experience as a teacher and researcher to improve and update the text that strives to answer the philosophical question in it’s title: What is This Thing Called Science? Identifying the qualitative difference between knowledge of atoms as it figures in contemporary science and metaphysical speculations about atoms common in philosophy since the time of Democritus proves to be a highly revealing and instructive way to pinpoint key features of the answer to that question. The most significant feature of this fourth edition is the extensive postscript, in which Chalmers uses the results of his recent research on the history of atomism to illustrate and enliven key themes in the philosophy of science. This new edition ensures that the book holds its place as the leading introduction to the philosophy of science for the foreseeable future. |
Contents
Preface to the first edition | |
Observable facts expressed as statements | |
The production and updating of experimental results | |
Further problems with inductivism | |
Falsificationism and progress | |
Sophisticated falsificationism novel predictions and the growth of science | |
Inadequacies of the falsificationist demarcation criterion and Poppers response | |
Kuhns ambivalence on progress through revolutions | |
Critique of subjective Bayesianism | |
Deborah Mayo on severe experimental testing | |
happy meetings of theory and experiment | |
Thermodynamic and conservation laws | |
Some standard objections and the antirealist response | |
Unrepresentative realism or structural realism | |
Further reading | |
Perrins | |
Problems with Lakatoss methodology | |
Piecemeal change of theory method and standards | |
The Bayesian approach | |
Realism versus antirealism again | |
Further reading | |
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Common terms and phrases
able account of science antirealism antirealist argument Aristotelian assumption astronomy atomic weight atoms attempt Bayesian Brownian motion Brownian particles century chapter characterisation claim confirmed conjectures Consequently constitute Copernican theory Copernicus degrees of belief derived detailed earth Einstein’s theory electromagnetic electron established evidence example experiment experimental results explain extent fallible false falsifiable falsificationism falsificationist Feyerabend Fresnel’s Galileo gestalt switches Hertz historical history of science Howson and Urbach hypothesis idea induction inductivist insofar involved kind kinetic energy kinetic theory Kuhn Kuhn’s Lakatos Lakatos’s methodology light logical measurements mechanical mechanical philosophy method molecules moon motion Newton’s theory Newtonian novel predictions objective observable facts observation statements orbit paradigm Perrin phenomena philosophers philosophy of science physics planet Popper position precise prior probabilities problem progress question realism rejected research programs scientific knowledge scientific realism scientific revolution scientific theories scientists sense significant straightforward telescope theoretical theorydependent true truth velocity Venus waves