Read more
"A collection of clearly written, very informative, high-quality chapters that provide readers with good samples of what the philosophies of the various sciences have to offer." Acta Biotheoretica "Gone are the days when it seemed reasonable to regard philosophy of science as a monolithic enterprise. The various sciences give rise to their own distinctive philosophical problems, frustrating attempts at unified treatments. This excellent volume recognizes the diversity of philosophical concerns and approaches that the sciences demand. It offers both an aerial view of the relevant intellectual terrain, and a number of close-up surveys - a state-of-the-art resource for students and researchers alike." Alan Hájek, Australian National University "This welcome addition to the philosophy of science literature will introduce readers to the fertile ground lying between philosophy and real scientific practice." Colin Allen, Indiana University-Bloomington Philosophies of the Sciences: A Guide is a collection of twelve original essays by leading philosophers associated with various scientific disciplines. Recognizing that much current research within the philosophy of science takes place through the lens of one particular science, this volume argues that the various scientific fields and investigations have much that they can learn from one another. Rather than discussing each science in isolation, they are presented here collectively to encourage a greater understanding of their associative theoretical foundations and a sharing of ideas.
Covering a wide range of scientific disciplines, contributors explore central debates in the areas of traditional philosophy of science, such as philosophy of physics and of biology, and also fields outside of the traditional mainstream, such as philosophies of psychology, sociology, chemistry, economics, and other individual sciences. An introductory essay covering philosophy of science more generally is included as a background to the subject; the book then moves beyond general methodological issues to offer a new and unique approach to the study and thought of philosophy of science. This breadth of topics and interdisciplinary coverage make this a valuable text for courses at the undergraduate or graduate level and for researchers in philosophy and related fields.
Fritz Allhoff, J.D., Ph.D. is Associate Professor and Director of Graduate Studies in the Department of Philosophy at Western Michigan University and Fellow in the Center for Law and Biosciences at Stanford Law School.
He has edited and authored over twenty books, including
Philosophy of Science: An Historical Anthology, (co-edited with Timothy McGrew and Marc Alspector-Kelly, (Wiley Blackwell, 2009)., and is the Editor of the Wiley Blackwell series
Philosophy for Everyone.
List of contents
Notes on Contributors vii
List of Figures xii
Unit 1: Introduction 1 1 Philosophies of the Sciences 3
Fritz Allhoff 2 Philosophy of Science 9
Richard DeWitt Unit 2: Philosophy of the Exact Sciences 39 3 Philosophy of Logic 41
Otávio Bueno 4 Philosophy of Mathematics 68
Otávio Bueno 5 Philosophy of Probability 92
Aidan Lyon Unit 3: Philosophy of the Natural Sciences 127 6 Philosophy of Physics 129
Richard DeWitt 7 Philosophy of Chemistry 163
Joachim Schummer 8 Philosophy of Biology 184
Matthew H. Haber, Andrew Hamilton, Samir Okasha, and Jay Odenbaugh 9 Philosophy of Earth Science 213
Maarten G. Kleinhans, Chris J.J. Buskes, and Henk W. de Regt Unit 4: Philosophy of the Behavioral and Social Sciences 237 10 Philosophy of the Cognitive Sciences 239
William Bechtel and Mitchell Herschbach 11 Philosophy of Psychology 262
Edouard Machery 12 Philosophy of Sociology 293
Daniel Little 13 Philosophy of Economics 324
Daniel M. Hausman Index 356
About the author
Fritz Allhoff is Assistant Professor in the Department of Philosophy at Western Michigan University, where he also holds an affiliation with the Mallinson Institute for Science Education. He has edited over 20 books, including
Philosophy of Science: An Historical Anthology, co-edited with Timothy McGrew and Marc Alspector-Kelly (Wiley-Blackwell, 2009).
Summary
A collection of essays discussing a wide range of sciences and the central philosophical issues associated with them, presenting the sciences collectively to encourage a greater understanding of their associative theoretical foundations, as well as their relationships to each other.
