Read more
This book contains selected papers from symposia and contributed sessions presented at the third biennial meeting of the Philosophy of Science Association, held in Lansing, Michigan, on October 27-29, 1972. We are grateful to Michigan State University, and especially to Professor Peter Asquith and his students and colleagues, for their friendly and efficient hospitality in organizing the circumstances of the sessions and of the 'intersessions', the unscheduled free time which is so important to any scholarly gathering. Several of the symposium papers have unhappily not been made available: those of Alasdair MacIntyre and Sidney Morgenbesser in the session on the social sciences, that of Ian Hacking in the session on randomness and that of Imre Lakatos in the session on discovery and rationality in science. Department of History and KENNETH F. SCHAFFNER Philosophy of Science, University of Pittsburgh Center for the Philosophy and ROBERT S. COHEN History of Science, Boston University TABLE OF CONTENTS PREFACE v PART I/SYMPOSIUM: SPACE, TIME AND MATTER: THE FOUNDATIONS OF GEOMETRODYNAMICS ADOLF GRUNBAUM / Space, Time, and Matter: The Foundations of Geometrodynamics. Introductory Remarks 3 CHARLES W. MISNER / Some Topics for Philosophical Inquiry Concerning the Theories of Mathematical Geometrodynamics and of Physical Geometrodynamics 7 JOHN STACHEL / The Rise and Fall of Geometrodynamics 31 PART II / PHILOSOPHICAL PROBLEMS OF BIOLOGY AND PSYCHOLOGY STUART KAUFFMAN / Elsasser, Generalized Complementarity, and Finite Classes: A Critique of His Anti-Reductionism 57 WILLIAM C.
List of contents
I / Symposium: Space, Time and Matter: The Foundations of Geometrodynamics.- Space, Time, and Matter: The Foundations of Geometrodynamics. Introductory Remarks.- Some Topics for Philosophical Inquiry Concerning the Theories of Mathematical Geometrodynamics and of Physical Geometrodynamics.- The Rise and Fall of Geometrodynamics.- II / Philosophical Problems of Biology and Psychology.- Elsasser, Generalized Complementarity, and Finite Classes: A Critique of His Anti-Reductionism.- Complexity and Organization.- B. F. Skinner - The Butcher, The Baker, The Behavior-Shaper.- III / Symposium: Fundamental Problems in the Concept of Randomness.- Fundamental Problems in the Concept of Randomness. Dedication to Leonard J. Savage.- Randomness and Knowledge.- Random Thoughts about Randomness.- Randomness.- IV / Historical Issues in the Philosophy of Science.- Kant, the Dynamical Tradition, and the Role of Matter in Explanation.- V / Philosophical Problems of the Social Sciences.- The Operation Called Verstehen: Towards a Redefinition of the Problem.- On Popper's Philosophy of Social Science.- Monistic Theories of Society.- VI / Symposium: Values, Ideology and Objectivity in the Social Sciences.- The Exact Role of Value Judgments in Science.- VII / Philosophical Problems of the Physical Sciences.- A Dilemma for the Traditional Interpretation of Quantum Mixtures.- Nowness and the Understanding of Time.- VIII / Symposium: Modality and the Analysis of Scientific Propositions.- On the Usefulness of Modal Logic in Axiomatizations of Physics.- The Essential but Implicit Role of Modal Concepts in Science.- Comments on Suppes' Paper: The Essential but Implicit Role of Modal Concepts in Science.- Bressan and Suppes on Modality.- Replies to van Fraassen's Comments: Bressan and Suppeson Modality.- IX / Scientific Explanation.- Statistical Explanations.- The Objects of Acceptance: Competing Scientific Explanations.- X / Truth and Realism in Science.- Is Scientific Realism a Contingent Thesis?.- Realist Foundations of Measurement.- XI / Symposium: Discovery, Rationality and Progress in Science.- Rationality and Scientific Discovery.- Discovery, Rationality, and Progress in Science: A Perspective in the Philosophy of Science.- XII / Inductive Logic.- Rationality Between the Maximizers and the Satisficers.
