Philosophy of science in the twentieth century : four central themes

this Book Traces The Development During The 20th Century Of Four Central Themes In The Philosophy Of Science. The Themes, Chosen For Their Importance Are Expounded In A Way Which Does Not Presuppose Any Previous Knowledge Of Philosophy Or Science. The Book Thus Constitutes An Excellent Introduction To The Philosophy Of Science. booknews an Introduction To The Philosophy Of Science, Tracing The Development During The 20th Century Of Four Central Themes: Inductivism, Conventionalism, The Nature Of Observation, And The Demarcation Between Science And Metaphysics. The Movement Of Ideas Is Placed Against The Background Of The Lives Of The Philosophers And Of Contemporary Developments In Science. Doesn't Presuppose Any Previous Knowledge Of Philosophy Or Science. Annotation C. Book News, Inc., Portland, Or (booknews.com) Contents......Page 3 Preface......Page 5 I. Inductivism and its Critics......Page 8 1. Some Historical Background......Page 9 2. Popper's\rCritique of inductivism......Page 21 3. Duhem's Critique of Inductivism......Page 35 ll. Conventionalism and the Duhem-Ouine Thesis......Page 44 4. Poincare's Conventionalism of 1902......Page 45 5. The Duhem Thesis and the Ouine Thesis......Page 57 lll. The Nature of Observation......Page 66 6. Protocol Sentences......Page 67 7. ls Observation Theory-Laden?......Page 74 lV. The Demarcation between Science and Metaphysics......Page 83 8. ls Metaphysics Meaningless? Wittgenstein, the Vienna Circle, and Popper's Critique......Page 84 9. Metaphysics in Relation to Science: The Views of Popper, Duhem, and Ouine......Page 102 10. Falsificationism in the Light of the Duhem-Quine Thesis ......Page 110 This book traces the development during the 20th century of four central themes in the philosophy of science: inductivism, conventionalism, the nature of observation, and the demarcation between science and metaphysics. The movement of ideas is placed against the background of the lives of the philosophers and of contemporary developments in science. The four themes have been chosen because of their central importance, and are expounded in such a way which does not presuppose any previous knowledge of philosophy or science. The book thus constitutes an excellent introduction to the philosophy of science.-- Publisher's description Traces the development, during the 20th century, of the four central themes in the philosophy of science: inductivism and its critics; conventionalism and the Duhem-Quine thesis; the nature of observation; and the demarcation between science and metaphysics.