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This volume is dedicated to the life and work of Ernest Nagel (1901-1985) counted among the influential twentieth-century philosophers of science. Forgotten by the history of philosophy of science community in recent years, this volume introduces Nagel's philosophy to a new generation of readers and highlights the merits and originality of his works.
Best known in the history of philosophy as a major American representative of logical empiricism with some pragmatist and naturalist leanings, Nagel's interests and activities went beyond these limits. His career was marked with a strong and determined intention of harmonizing the European scientific worldview of logical empiricism and American naturalism/pragmatism. His most famous and systematic treatise on, The Structure of Science, appeared just one year before Thomas Kuhn's even more renowned, The Structure of Scientific Revolutions.
As a reflection of Nagel's interdisciplinary work, the contributing authors' articles are connected both historically and systematically. The volume will appeal to students mainly at the graduate level and academic scholars. Since the volume treats historical, philosophical, physical, social and general scientific questions, it will be of interest to historians and philosophers of science, epistemologists, social scientists, and anyone interested in the history of analytic philosophy and twentieth-century intellectual history.
List of contents
Chapter 1. A Life Between: Ernest Nagel (Matthias Neuber and Adam Tamas Tuboly).- Chapter 2. Ernest Nagel and the Reception of Logical Empiricism in the United States (Sander Verhaegh).- Chapter 3. Between Enthusiasm and Disenchantment: Ernest Nagel and Logical Empiricism (Thomas Mormann).- Chapter 4. Putting the Cart before the Horse: Nagel's Criticism of Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle (Jeanne Peijnenburg and David Atkinson). Chapter 5. Nagel on Idealization in Science (Raphael van Riel).- Chapter 6. Determinism as a Guiding Principle (Marij van Strien).- Chapter 7. On Nagel's 'Truth-frequency' Interpretation of Probability (Maria Carla Galavotti).- Chapter 8. Neurath and Nagel on Semantics (Lucas Baccarat).- Chapter 9. On Nagel on Teleology in Biology (Bohang Chen).- Chapter 10. Nagel Teaching Aristotle and Philosophy of Science (Fons Dewulf).- Chapter 11. Nagel's Philosophy of the Social Sciences (Matthias Neuber).- Chapter 12. Ernest Nagel the Reviewer (Eric Schliesser).- Appendix: The Nagel-Hempel Correspondence.
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"The volume is recommended for Nagel scholars and historians of philosophy of science who would like to learn more about a prominent yet recently somewhat forgotten - or maybe better: ignored - proponent of philosophy of science and his thoughts. ... It will be a suitable basis for a graduate course on Nagel and his philosophy. Equally well, individual papers from the collection will be a worthwhile addition to the reading list of topical seminars ... ." (Alexander Ehmann, Journal for General Philosophy of Science, Vol. 54, 2023)
