Pierre Gassendi's Philosophy and Science: Atomism for Empiricists : Atomism for Empiricists

This look at Gassendi's philosophy and science illuminates his contributions to early modern thought and to the broader history of philosophy of science. Two keys to his thought are his novel picture of acquiring and judging empirical belief, and his liberal account of criteria for counting empirical beliefs as parts of warranted physical theories. By viewing his philosophical and scientific pursuits as part of one and the same project, Gassendi's arguments on behalf of atomism can be fruitfully explained as licensed by his empiricism. PREFACE NOTICE TO THE READER FOREWORD: A New, Integrated Picture of Gassendi INTRODUCTION: 'BASSES-ALPES' PRIEST, PROVENÇAL SCIENTIST,AND PARISIAN PHILOSOPHER PART I. A CONSTRUCTIVE SKEPTICIST THEORY OF EMPIRICAL KNOWLEDGE CHAPTER ONE. THE SKEPTICAL CHALLENGE, AN EMPIRICIST RESPONSE, AND A PHYSICALIST THEORY OF PERCEPTUAL BELIEF CHAPTER TWO. THE THEORY OF SIGNS: CAUTIOUS LICENSE FORTRUTH-LIKE EMPIRICAL BELIEF CHAPTER THREE. EMPIRICIST EPISTEMIC WARRANT, AND PROBABILISTAND ANTI-ESSENTIALIST CONSEQUENCES PART II. SCIENTIFIC METHOD: THE REGRESSUS DEMONSTRATIVUS AND HYPOTHETICAL REASONING CHAPTER FOUR. METHODOLOGICAL PURSUITS: THE REGRESSUS RECAST, INDUCTION, AND PROBABILITY CHAPTER FIVE. THE 'INSTITUTIO' METHOD IN PRACTICE: GASSENDI’S REPORT OF THE PASCALIAN EXPERIMENT CHAPTER SIX. A METHOD OF HYPOTHESES AND HYPOTHETICAL REASONING PART III. THE ATOMIST HYPOTHESIS CHAPTER SEVEN. SMALLEST PARTICLES: FROM ANCIENT ATOMIST AND 'MINIMA' THEORIES TO 'MINIMA NATURAE' AND PHYSICAL CORPUSCULARIANISM CHAPTER EIGHT. THE MECHANICAL PHILOSOPHY CHAPTER NINE. ULTIMATE PARTICLES AND ESSENTIAL FEATURES CHAPTER TEN. ATOMIC MOTION, CAUSAL ROLE, AND INTERNAL IMPETUS CHAPTER ELEVEN. EXPLANATORY USES OF THE ATOMIST HYPOTHESIS CHAPTER TWELVE. ATOMISM, THE MECHANICAL PHILOSOPHY, ANDEMPIRICAL VIABILITY PART IV. ATOMISM AS HYPOTHESIS AND AS EMPIRICAL KNOWLEDGE CHAPTER THIRTEEN. ATOMISM AND SCIENTIFIC METHOD CHAPTER FOURTEEN. IS THERE A CIRCLE IN GASSENDI’S REASONING? BIBLIOGRAPHY GENERAL INDEX "This look into Gassendi's philosophy and science illuminates his contributions to early modern thought and to the broader history of philosophy of science." "Two keys to his thought are his novel picture of acquiring and judging empirical belief, and his liberal account of criteria for counting empirical beliefs as parts of warranted physical theories. By viewing his philosophical and science pursuits as part of one and the same project, Gassendi's arguments on behalf of atomism can be fruitfully explained as licensed by his empiricism."--Jacket This Study Of Gassendi's Philosophy And Science Puts Forth The View That His Atomism Follows From His Empiricism: As An Outgrowth Of Our Best Theory Of Knowledge And Sound Scientific Method, We Get Evidence That Warrents The Micorphysical Theory.