Discourse on a New Method : Reinvigorating the Marriage of History and Philosophy of Science

Addressing a wide range of topics, from Newton to Post-Kuhnian philosophy of science, these essays critically examine themes that have been central to the influential work of philosopher Michael Friedman. Special focus is given to Friedman's revealing study of both history of science and philosophy in his work on Kant, Newton, Einstein, and other major figures. This interaction of history and philosophy is the subject of the editors' "manifesto" and serves to both explain and promote the essential ties between two disciplines usually regarded as unrelated. 1. Introduction: Discourse on a New Method, or a Manifesto for a Synthetic Approach to History and Philosophy of Science (Mary Domski and Michael Dickson)......Page 2 PART I: THE NEWTONIAN ERA......Page 22 2. The Axiomatic Tradition in Seventeenth-Century Mechanics (Domenico Bertoloni Meli)......Page 23 3. The Reduction to the Pristine State in Robert Boyle's Corpuscular Philosophy (William R. Newman)......Page 42 4. Newton as Historically-Minded Philosopher (Mark Domski)......Page 63 5. Newton's Forces in Kant's Critique (Andrew Janiak)......Page 88 PART II: KANT......Page 108 6. Kant and Lambert on Geometrical Postulates in the Reform of Metaphysics (Alison Laywine)......Page 109 7. Two Studies in the Reception of Kant's Philosophy of Arithmetic (Charles Parsons)......Page 130 8. Philosophy, Geometry, and Logic in Leibniz, Wolff, and the Early Kant (Daniel Sutherland)......Page 149 9. Kant on Attractive and Repulsive Force: The Balancing Argument (Daniel Warren)......Page 187 10. Mathematical Method in Kant, Schelling, and Hegel (Frederick C. Beiser)......Page 236 PART III: LOGICAL POSITIVISM AND NEO-KANTIANISM......Page 252 11. Validity in the Cultural Sciences? (John Michael Krois)......Page 253 12. Ernst Cassirer and Michael Friedman: Kantian or Hegelian Dynamics of Reason? (Alan Richardson)......Page 271 13. From Mach to Carnap: A Tale of Confusion (Paul Pojman)......Page 287 14. Quine's Objection and Carnap's Aufbau (Thomas Ricketts)......Page 302 15. "Let me briefly indicate why I do not find this standpoint natural." Einstein, General Relativity, and the Contingent A Priori (Don Howard)......Page 323 PART IV: HISTORY AND PHILOSOPHY OF PHYSICS......Page 346 16. How Hume and Mach Helped Einstein Find Special Relativity (John D. Norton)......Page 347 17. The Paracletes of Quantum Gravity (James Mattingly)......Page 375 18. Beauty Doth of Itself Persuade: Dirac on Quantization, Mathematical Beauty, and Theoretical Understanding (Michael Dickson)......Page 393 19. Theory, Coordination, and Empirical Meaning in Modern Physics (Scott Tanona)......Page 410 20. The "Relativized A Priori": An Appreciation and Critique (Thomas Ryckman)......Page 442 PART V: POST-KUHNIAN PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE......Page 458 21. The Role of the Foundations of Mathematics in the Development of Carnap's Theory of Theories (William Demopoulos)......Page 459 22. The Construction of Reason: Kant, Carnap, Kuhn, and Beyond (Richard Creath)......Page 479 23. How Should We Describe Scientific Change? Or: A Neo-Popperian Reads Friedman (Noretta Koertge)......Page 496 24. Synthesis, the Synthetic A Priori, and the Origins of Modern Space-Time Theory (Robert DiSalle)......Page 508 25. Back to "Back to Kant" (Mark Wilson)......Page 537 PART VI: CONCLUDING ESSAY......Page 553 26. Synthetic History Reconsidered (Michael Friedman)......Page 554 The Newtonian Era......Page 556 Kant......Page 567 From Kant to Carnap - Newton to Einstein......Page 603 Transcendental Philosophy and Modern Physics: Neo-Kantianism, Logical Empiricism, and Phenomenology......Page 660 Synthetic History and the Dynamics of Reason......Page 678 Notes......Page 711 References......Page 784 Index......Page 796 Discourse on a new method, or a manifesto for a synthetic approach to history and philosophy of science / Mary Domski and Michael Dickson Pt. 1. The Newtonian era The axiomatic tradition in 17th century mechanics / Domenico Bertoloni Meli The reduction to the pristine state in Robert Boyle's corpuscular philosophy / William R. Newman Newton as historically-minded philosopher / Mary Domski Newton's forces in Kant's critique / Andrew Janiak Pt. 2. Kant Kant and Lambert on geometrical postulates in the reform of metaphysics / Alison Laywine Two studies in the reception of Kant's philosophy of arithmetic / Charles Parsons Philosophy, geometry, and logic in Leibniz, Wolff, and the early Kant / Daniel Sutherland Kant on attractive and repulsive force : the balancing argument / Daniel Warren Mathematical method in Kant, Schelling, and Hegel / Frederick C. Beiser Pt. 3. Logical positivism and neo-Kantianism Validity in the cultural sciences? / John ichael Krois Ernst Cassirer and Michael Friedman : Kantian or Hegelian dynamics of reason? / Alan Richardson From Mach to Carnap: a tale of confusion / Paul Pojman Quine's objection and Carnap's Aufbau / Thomas Ricketts "Let me briefly indicate why I do not find this standpoint natural" : Einstein, general relativity, and the contingent a priori / Don Howard Pt. 4. History and philosophy of physics How Hume and Mach helped Einstein find special relativity / John Norton The paracletes of quantum gravity / James Mattingly Dirac and mathematical beauty / Michael Dickson Theory, coordination, and empirical meaning in modern physics / Scott Tanona The "relativized a priori" : an appreciation and a critique / Thomas Ryckman Pt. 5. Post-Kuhnian philosophy of science The role of the foundations of mathematics in the development of Carnap's theory of theories / William Demopoulos Synthesis, the synthetic a priori, and the origins of modern space-time theory / Robert DiSalle How should we describe scientific change? or : a neo-Popperian reads Friedman / Noretta Koertge The construction of reason : Kant, Carnap, Kuhn, and beyond / Richard Creath Back to "back to Kant" / Mark Wilson Pt. 6. Michael Friedman responds Synthetic history reconsidered / Michael Friedman.