Philosophy of Science: Contemporary Readings (Routledge Contemporary Readings in Philosophy)

This comprehensive anthology draws together writings by leading philosophers on the philosophy of science. Each section is prefaced by an introductory essay from the editors, guiding students gently into the topic. Accessible and wide-ranging, the text draws on both contemporary and twentieth century sources. The readings are designed to complement Alex Rosenberg's textbook, __Philosophy of Science: A Contemporary Introduction__ (Routledge 2000), but can also serve as a stand-alone volume in any philosophy of science course. Includes readings from the following leading philosophers: Achinstein, Anderson, Bloor, Earman, Feyerabend, Gutting, Hanson, Hempel, Kitcher, Kuhn, Laudan, Leplin, Mackie, McMullin, Nagel, Popper, Quine, Rosenberg, Russell, Salmon, Schlick, Shapere, Van Fraassen. Preface......Page 6 Acknowledgements......Page 7 PART I: SCIENCE AND PHILOSOPHY......Page 11 Introduction......Page 12 1 Moritz Schlick, "The Future of Philosophy"......Page 17 2 Alex Rosenberg, "Biology and Its Philosophy"......Page 31 Questions......Page 43 Further Reading......Page 44 PART II : EXPLANATION, CAUSATION, AND LAWS......Page 46 Introduction......Page 48 3 Carl Hempel, "Two Models of Scientific Explanation"......Page 54 4 Bas van Fraassen, "The Pragmatics of Explanation"......Page 65 5 Philip Kitcher, "Explanatory Unification and the CausalStructure of the World"......Page 80 6 Wesley C. Salmon, "Scientific Explanation: Causationand Unification"......Page 101 7 J .L. Mackie, "The Logic of Conditionals"......Page 115 8 John Earman, "Laws of Nature"......Page 124 Questions......Page 134 Further Reading......Page 135 PART III: SCIENTIFIC THEORIES ANDCONCEPTUAL CHANGE......Page 136 Introduction......Page 138 9 Ernest Nagel, "Experimental Laws and Theories"......Page 141 10 Paul Feyerabend, "Explanation, Reduction, and Empiricism"......Page 150 11 Philip Kitcher, "Theories, Theorists and Theoretical Change"......Page 172 Questions......Page 197 Further Reading......Page 198 PART IV: SCIENTIFIC REALISM......Page 200 Introduction......Page 202 12 Ernest Nagel, "The Cognitive Status of Theories"......Page 206 13 Larry Laudan, "A Confutation of Convergent Realism"......Page 220 14 Gary Gutting, "Scientific Realism versus ConstructiveEmpiricism: A Dialogue"......Page 243 15 Ernan McMullin, "A Case for Scientific Realism"......Page 257 Further Reading......Page 290 PART V: TESTING AND CONFIRMATIONOF THEORIES......Page 292 Introduction......Page 294 16 Bertrand Russell, "On Induction"......Page 298 17 Karl Popper, "Science: Conjectures and Refutations"......Page 303 18 Karl Popper, "Darwinism as a Metaphysical ResearchProgramme"......Page 311 19 Charles Darwin, "Difficulties of the Theory"......Page 314 20 Peter Achinstein, "The Grue Paradox"......Page 316 21 N. Russell Hanson, "Seeing and Seeing As"......Page 330 22 W.V. Quine, "Two Dogmas of Empiricism"......Page 349 23 Larry Laudan and Jarrett Leplin, "Empirical Equivalenceand Underdetermination"......Page 371 24 Wesley Salmon, "Bayes's Theorem and The Historyof Science"......Page 394 Questions......Page 411 Further Reading......Page 412 PART VI: SCIENCE IN CONTEXT: THE CHALLENGEOF HISTORY AND SOCIOLOGY......Page 414 Introduction......Page 416 25 Dudley Shapere, "The Structure of Scientific Revolutions"......Page 419 26 Thomas Kuhn, "Objectivity, Value Judgment, and TheoryChoke"......Page 430 27 David Bloor, "The Strong Programme in the Sociology ofKnowledge"......Page 447 28 Elizabeth Anderson, "Feminist Epistemology: AnInterpretation and a Defense"......Page 468 29 Ernan McMullin, "The Social Dimensions of Science"......Page 498 Questions......Page 509 Further Reading......Page 510 Bibliography......Page 511 Index......Page 516 Preface 6 Acknowledgements 7 PART I: SCIENCE AND PHILOSOPHY 11 Introduction 12 1 Moritz Schlick, "The Future of Philosophy" 17 2 Alex Rosenberg, "Biology and Its Philosophy" 31 Questions 43 Further Reading 44 PART II : EXPLANATION, CAUSATION, AND LAWS 46 Introduction 48 3 Carl Hempel, "Two Models of Scientific Explanation" 54 4 Bas van Fraassen, "The Pragmatics of Explanation" 65 5 Philip Kitcher, "Explanatory Unification and the CausalStructure of the World" 80 6 Wesley C. Salmon, "Scientific Explanation: Causationand Unification" 101 7 J .L. Mackie, "The Logic of Conditionals" 115 8 John Earman, "Laws of Nature" 124 Questions 134 Further Reading 135 PART III: SCIENTIFIC THEORIES ANDCONCEPTUAL CHANGE 136 Introduction 138 9 Ernest Nagel, "Experimental Laws and Theories" 141 10 Paul Feyerabend, "Explanation, Reduction, and Empiricism" 150 11 Philip Kitcher, "Theories, Theorists and Theoretical Change" 172 Questions 197 Further Reading 198 PART IV: SCIENTIFIC REALISM 200 Introduction 202 12 Ernest Nagel, "The Cognitive Status of Theories" 206 13 Larry Laudan, "A Confutation of Convergent Realism" 220 14 Gary Gutting, "Scientific Realism versus ConstructiveEmpiricism: A Dialogue" 243 15 Ernan McMullin, "A Case for Scientific Realism" 257 Questions 290 Further Reading 290 PART V: TESTING AND CONFIRMATIONOF THEORIES 292 Introduction 294 16 Bertrand Russell, "On Induction" 298 17 Karl Popper, "Science: Conjectures and Refutations" 303 18 Karl Popper, "Darwinism as a Metaphysical ResearchProgramme" 311 19 Charles Darwin, "Difficulties of the Theory" 314 20 Peter Achinstein, "The Grue Paradox" 316 21 N. Russell Hanson, "Seeing and Seeing As" 330 22 W.V. Quine, "Two Dogmas of Empiricism" 349 23 Larry Laudan and Jarrett Leplin, "Empirical Equivalenceand Underdetermination" 371 24 Wesley Salmon, "Bayes's Theorem and The Historyof Science" 394 Questions 411 Further Reading 412 PART VI: SCIENCE IN CONTEXT: THE CHALLENGEOF HISTORY AND SOCIOLOGY 414 Introduction 416 25 Dudley Shapere, "The Structure of Scientific Revolutions" 419 26 Thomas Kuhn, "Objectivity, Value Judgment, and TheoryChoke" 430 27 David Bloor, "The Strong Programme in the Sociology ofKnowledge" 447 28 Elizabeth Anderson, "Feminist Epistemology: AnInterpretation and a Defense" 468 29 Ernan McMullin, "The Social Dimensions of Science" 498 Questions 509 Further Reading 510 Bibliography 511 Index 516

This comprehensive anthology draws together writings by leading philosophers on the philosophy of science. Each section is prefaced by an introductory essay from the editors, guiding students gently into the topic. Accessible and wide-ranging, the text draws on both contemporary and twentieth century sources.
The readings are designed to complement Alex Rosenberg's textbook, Philosophy of Science: A Contemporary Introduction (Routledge 2000), but can also serve as a stand-alone volume in any philosophy of science course.
Includes readings from the following leading philosophers: Achinstein, Anderson, Bloor, Earman, Feyerabend, Gutting, Hanson, Hempel, Kitcher, Kuhn, Laudan, Leplin, Mackie, McMullin, Nagel, Popper, Quine, Rosenberg, Russell, Salmon, Schlick, Shapere, Van Fraassen.

Philosophy of Science: Contemporary Readings is a comprehensive anthology that draws together leading philosophers writing on the major themes in the philosophy of science. Sections are: Science and Philosophy; Explanation; Causation and Laws; Scientific Theories and Conceptual Change; Scientific Realism; Testing and Confirmation of Theories; and Science in Context. Each section is prefaced by an introductory essay by the editors. Philosophy of science is a difficult subject to define, in large part because philosophy is difficult to define.