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Philosophy of Science: An Anthology assembles some of the finest papers in the philosophy of science since 1945, showcasing enduring classics alongside important and innovative recent work.

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This book concerns itself with an issue that is not sufficiently addressed in the literature: Heidegger's philosophy of science. Although a great deal of attention is paid to Heidegger's later critique of technology, no one has systematically studied how he understood "science." Many readers will be surprised to learn, through this book, that Heidegger developed the essentials of a fairly sophisticated philosophy of science, one that in many ways invites comparison with that of Thomas Kuhn. Glazebrook demonstrates that Heidegger's philosophy of science is not neatly divided into "early" and "late" (or "Heidegger I" and "Heidegger II") but is, rather, an ongoing development over at least three periods, bound together as an analysis of modern science and an uncovering of other possibilities for understanding nature. Glazebrook states in her introduction, "This reading of Heidegger is radical. It cuts to the root of his thinking, for I argue that what are taken to be Heidegger's many and significant contributions to philosophy--that is, his overcoming of metaphysics, his rereading of the ancients, his critique of technology and representational thinking, his vision and revision of language, truth, and thinking--have at their core an inquiry into science that drove his thinking for sixty years. I am not arguing for a new reading of a few texts, or for adjustments and refinements of existing readings of Heideggger. Rather, I am bringing to light a new basis on which to interpret his work as a whole." ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Centrality of the meaning of science for Heidegger
An excellent clarification of a murky and easily misunderstood topic in Heidegger's oeuvre. Glazebrook traces the many changes in Heidegger's attitude toward science from his early excitement to his later diagnosis of its nihilism. She makes a convincing argument that, far from being on the fringe of his philosophy, Heidegger spent six decades with science in the forefront of his thoughts, seeing it as the final stage of Greek metaphysics and the domniant influence on modernity. But, most importantly, Glazebrook makes it clear that Heidegger defines ontology at every stage of his rethinking in relation to his evolving understanding of the meaning and nature of science. She makes a strong case that since Heidegger's attitude toward science is determinitive for his ontology, they must be understood together. I see this as a must read for anyone seriously interested in Heidegger.

The question of science
This book attempts to bring a discussion of Heidegger's philosophy to bear on current discussions in analytic philosophy. Heidegger's thoughts are contrasted with Lakatos, Kuhn and others showing many of the similarities (and differences) there are between them. Many of the issues found in a basic philosophy of science text are also found here, such as: Underdetermination (basically the idea that the truth of no one theory can be determined by the data or by experiment), realism and antirealism, the nature of theories etc. -- what is emphasized most is the metaphysical and epistemological issues present in modern science. Of course, not all problems in the philosophy of science are found in Heidegger, but enough, apparently, to consider him a philosopher of science.

The book also has a lot to say about our current modern age of scientific-technological ways of 'revealing' -- the discussion revolves around the modern ages concern with beings; making void all internal significance. The book is very interesting and has a lot more to it than the bits I've mentioned. The potential reader of this book might want to know that Greek expressions are used fairly frequently. ... Read more

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This collection of readings shows how cognitive science can influence most of the primary branches of philosophy, as well as how philosophy critically examines the foundations of cognitive science. Its broad coverage extends beyond current texts that focus mainly on the impact of cognitive science on philosophy of mind and philosophy of psychology, to include materials that are relevant to five other branches of philosophy: epistemology, philosophy of science (and mathematics), metaphysics, language, and ethics.

The readings are organized by philosophical fields, with selections evenly divided between philosophers and cognitive scientists. They draw on research in numerous areas of cognitive science, including cognitive psychology, developmental psychology, social psychology, psychology of reasoning and judgment, artificial intelligence, linguistics, and neuropsychology. There are timely treatments of current topics and debates such as the innate understanding of number, children's theory of mind, self-knowledge, consciousness, connectionism, and ethics and cognitive science.

Alvin I. Goldman is Professor of Philosophy and Research Scientist in Cognitive Science at the University of Arizona.

Readings by: Irving Biederman. John Holland, Keith Holyoak, Richard Nisbett, and Paul Thagard. Amos Tversky and Daniel Kahneman. Hilary Kornblith. Alvin Goldman. Jerry Fodor. Paul Churchland. Pat Langley. Herbert Simon, Gary Bradshaw, and Jan Zytkow. Karen Wynn. Ned Block. Fred Dretske. Alison Gopnik. Daniel Dennett. Daniel Schacter. Elizabeth Spelke. Nancy Soja, Susan Carey. Ray Jackendoff. C. L. Hardin. Noam Chomsky. David Rumelhart and James McClelland. Andy Clark. Philip Johnson-Laird. Antonio Damasio and Hanna Damasio. Hilary Putnam. Martin Hoffman. Owen Flanagan. Stephen Stich. Tyler Burge. Patricia Churchland. Paul Smolensky. Zenon Pylyshyn. John Searle. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Cognitive Science for Philosophers
This excellent book gives an overview of current events in cognitive science that are relevant for philosophers. It sometimes goes into considerable technical detail - but the details are always the important ones - important for philosophy that is. If you are interested in the Philosophy of mind, this is a definite recommendation. ... Read more

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A History of Science in Society: From Philosophy to Utility is a concise overview that introduces complex ideas in a non-technical fashion without sacrificing the sophistication and richness of the subject.

Andrew Ede and Lesley B. Cormack trace the history of science through its continually changing place in society and explore the link between the pursuit of knowledge and the desire to make that knowledge useful.

Along the way, they discuss the specfics of scientific investigation and discovery. Beginning with a small group of philosophers in ancient Greece and ending with nano-technology, A History of Science in Society covers a vast sweep of time and subject matter. Among the many topics discussed are issues such as intellectual competition, gender and class, the economic exploitation of knowledge, and changing ideas about the environment and our relationship to it. Also included are more than 50 illustrations. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

elegant overview
The book has an ambitious remit of explaining the role of science in various societies, since the scientific method first emerged in ancient Greece. Of necessity, much detail has to be omitted. But the authors show skill in explaining the essence of the scientific method, and why some societies, like the Britain that started the Industrial Revolution, were able to apply it successfully.

It is not a book about the intricate details of the sciences. It furnishes an elegantly written overview that gives a nontechnical reader an appreciation of how the sciences developed. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A riveting and educational read, highly recommended
What are scientists really trying to prove anyway? "An Introduction to the Philosophy of Science" seeks to examine the very fundamental nature of science. In a way, it is the science of science. Filled with classical philosophical questions about science and how human ideas and thoughts concerning science have changed through the years, to the constant raging debates of today, "An Introduction to the Philosophy of Science" provides as much insight into science as philosophy can bring. "An Introduction to the Philosophy of Science" is a riveting and educational read, highly recommended. ... Read more

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This indispensable reference source and guide to the major themes, debates, problems and topics in philosophy of science contains fifty-five specially commissioned entries by a leading team of international contributors. Organized into four parts it covers:

• historical and philosophical context
• debates
• concepts
• the individual sciences.

The Companion covers everything students of philosophy of science need to know - from empiricism, explanation and experiment to causation, observation, prediction and more - and contains many helpful features including: a section on the individual sciences, including chapters on the philosophy of biology, chemistry, physics and psychology, further reading and cross-referencing at the end of each chapter.

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One of the more exciting ways to grapple with important philosophical questions, positions, and arguments, is through philosophical fiction. Accessible and lively, such fiction can be as enlightening as it is entertaining. It is an especially valuable genre for those who find philosophy "dry and academic." This book is the best collection of philosophically interesting science fiction ever assembled. It is an introduction to philosophy for readers of science fiction and an introduction to science fiction for the philosophically inclined. The book consists of a collection of stories arranged by philosophical subject area. Each section begins with an introduction describing the philosophical issues and options, and ends with a set of study questions designed to guide reflection. ... Read more

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Feminist perspectives have been increasingly influential on philosophy of science. Feminism and Philosophy of Science is designed to introduce the newcomer to the central themes, issues and arguments of this burgeoning area of study.Elizabeth Potter engages in a rigorous and well-organized study that takes in the views of key feminist theorists - Nelson, Wylie, Anderson, Longino and Harding - whose arguments exemplify contemporary feminist philosophy of science. The book is divided into six chapters looking at important themes:naturalized feminist empiricism feminist value theory feminist conceptual empiricismstandpoint epistemologies of science value-free science Arranged thematically, Feminism and Philosophy of Science looks at the spectrum of views that have arisen in the debate, and unpicks the arguments on key topics such as value-free science, values, objectivity, point of view and relativism. It assumes no previous knowledge of the subject, and is written in an accessible, student-friendly style. It will be an important read for students of philosophy, philosophy of science, gender studies and feminist studies. ... Read more

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Jean Watson's first edition of Nursing, now considered a classic, introduced the science of human caring and quickly became one of the most widely used and respected sources of conceptual models for nursing. This completely new edition offers a contemporary update and the most current perspectives on the evolution of the original philosophy and science of caring from the field's founding scholar.

A core concept for nurses and the professional and non-professional people they interact with, "care" is one of the field's least understood terms, enshrouded in conflicting expectations and meanings. Although its usages vary among cultures, caring is universal and timeless at the human level, transcending societies, religions, belief systems, and geographic boundaries, moving from Self to Other to community and beyond, affecting all of life.

This new edition reflects on the universal effects of caring and connects caring with love as the primordial moral basis both for the philosophy and science of caring practices and for healing itself. It introduces Caritas Processes, offers centering and mediation exercises on an included audio CD, and provides other energetic and reflective models to assist students and practitioners in cultivating a new level of Caritas Nursing in their work and world. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Caring- updated.
It is refreshing to read The Philosophy and Science of Caring. Caring is central to nursing and frequently in the nursing literature. Watson has revised and expanded her Caring Science and Philosophy, offering new insights,science and exemplars. This book is useful for all nurses,scholars, practitioners and educators. It should be required reading for nursing regardless of practice venue. Bravo, Jean!

Nursing: The Philosophyand Science of Caring
Jean Watson's theory and philosophy of nursing care provides evident based practice for the framework of nursing in the health care arena. Watson's theory provides the tools for connections between the patient and the healthcare providers involving the entire being including the spiritual aspect. I give this book's contents five stars. I recommend all healthcare providers read and study Watson's theory on caring. The information will change the approach to caring for their patients ... Read more

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This collection of over sixty extracts from classic works on the philosophy of social science provides an essential textbook and a landmark reference in the field. It highlights the work of some of the most influential authors who have shaped social science and is the definitive companion to the study of the philosophy of social science. The selections explore the question of truth, the meaning of scientific knowledge, the nature of methodology and the relation of science to society, including edited extracts from both classic and contemporary works. The readings are representative of the major schools of thought, including European and American trends in particular as well as approaches that are often excluded from mainstream traditions. ... Read more

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The debate between science and religion is never out of the news: emotions run high, fuelled by polemical bestsellers like The God Delusion and, at the other end of the spectrum, high-profile campaigns to teach "Intelligent Design" in schools. Yet there is much more to the debate than the clash of these extremes.As Thomas Dixon shows in this balanced and thought-provoking introduction, a whole range of views, subtle arguments, and fascinating perspectives can be found on this complex and centuries-old subject. He explores the key philosophical questions that underlie the debate, but also highlights the social, political, and ethical contexts that have made the tensions between science and religion such a fraught and interesting topic in the modern world. Dixon emphasizes how the modern conflict between evolution and creationism is quintessentially an American phenomenon, arising from the culture and history of the United States, as exemplified through the ongoing debates about how to interpret the First-Amendment's separation of church and state. Along the way, he examines landmark historical episodes such as the Galileo affair, Charles Darwin's own religious and scientific odyssey, the Scopes "Monkey Trial" in Tennessee in 1925, and the Dover Area School Board case of 2005, and includes perspectives from non-Christian religions and examples from across the physical, biological, and social sciences. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

A conciliatory, agnostic middle-ground
A refreshing aspect of this book is it's even-handedness. There are so many books that seem to not only say that religious belief and science are incompatible, but these books do so in a very rude manner that doesn't do much but preach to the choir. Dixon himself seems to take a conciliatory middle ground, where the disagreements are made to stem from politics, as well as from particular interpretations of scriptures or difficult ideas of god. For instance, Dixon discusses how religious sentiment fires a unique set of areas in the brain, leaving the possibility for something beyond our understanding without necessarily endorsing a purely natural or supernatural explanation. I thought the strongest part of the book was on the politics of science and belief. I learned how the Catholic Church censored Galileo for promoting an understanding of the universe opposed to the Church's views, as Rome was trying to assert itself in the wake of the Protestant Reformation. Dixon also notes how the Creationist/ID debate is based in challenging the 1st Amendment as much as it is about what constitutes "good" science. I personally wished he would cover more about miracles and focus on the use of science to explicitly prove or disprove the existence of god. Given that this is a "Very Short Introduction", I would recommend this as a stepping stone into a very difficult topic.

personal library
An addition to personal library, do not know when chance will arise to read as seminary still requires another year of reading, no time for personal pursuits at this time.

Author's attitude towards subject topics seems random; apparent understanding of religion and science community consensus weak
Besides the varying attitudes towards various religion and science topics, its section on further reading suggests that the author does not keep up with journal reviews and general consensus of the religion and science community.Skip this book. A book with a much greater degree of integrity is Exploring Science and Belief (Questions of Faith).

mixed review
This short introduction does have a number of the virtues listed in earlier reviews, for which we are in the author's debt.But there were two significant problems with Dixon's attempt to be even-handed presenting conflicting views on the topic.First, since Dixon isn't writing to reach any conclusions on the topic, he doesn't feel compelled to fill out opposing arguments in sufficient detail to really join the issues.Perhaps this is asking too much for such a short treatment, but without it, much is lost.Second, when he gets to the section on Intelligent Design, Dixon comes across with the same sneering contempt of a partisan, and again, without sufficiently detailed argument to warrant this posture.I.e. the treatment doesn't remain even-handed.

Serves Very Well as a Very Short Introduction
While not perfect, this book serves as an excellent introduction to this subject.Dixon proves to be well informed of the issues and manages to cover quite a lot of ground, and he's also sufficiently fair and balanced in presenting the competing arguments.

Perhaps the broadest lesson one can glean from the book is that science and religion have always had a messy multidimensional relationship, with many areas of potential agreement and disagreement.Part of the reason is that both science and religion are unavoidably framed in sociocultural and historical contexts, dialectically both affecting those contexts and being affected by them.Moreover, science and religion both have fuzzy boundaries, and both face many similar epistemic difficulties with respect to justifying their beliefs (despite the common but mistaken notion that science is purely objective whereas religion rests purely on faith and subjectivity).

The book lays all of this out with the help of many examples, and thereby gives a sense of how complicated matters are, but doesn't provide any final answers.This gives the impression that some disagreement and tension will probably always exist between science and religion, despite whatever progress might be made in finding reconciliations.However, if one wishes to be optimistic, there is still the prospect of finding (creating?) more and more common ground between the two, possibly resulting in worldviews which increasingly draw on the strengths of both, and of course there's already much precedent for this.

I say the book isn't perfect mainly because "religion" is mostly taken to mean Western monotheisms, especially Christianity, as Dixon acknowledges up front; I would have preferred to see Eastern views included as well, and I think that would have considerably reshaped the book.I also would have preferred a deeper treatment of the philosophical issues Dixon touches on, in exchange for a bit less time spent on detailing historical cases.

But these "imperfections" are largely matters of (my) preference, and again the bottom line is that Dixon has done an excellent job of presenting this subject at an introductory level.I highly recommend the book, and those who enjoy it may want to move on to the extensive The Oxford Handbook of Religion and Science (Oxford Handbooks in Religion and Theology) edited by Philip Clayton. ... Read more

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This book provides a well-illustrated and readable comparative guide to proportion systems in architecture, setting out the mathematical principles that underlie the main systems and illustrating these with examples of their use in historical and modern buildings. The text traces the interplay of abstraction and empathy through the history of science, philosophy and architecture from the early Greeks through to the two early twentieth-century architects who made proportion the focus of their work, Le Corbusier and Van der Laan, and ends with a reflection on the present and future role of proportion in architecture. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Great
The book looks great. Haven't had time to open it yet, but it looks like it's in great condition.

great book on epistemology
beyond architecture, this book examines the racionalist vs. empirist debate in science, art and phillosophy. most impresive is the way it disolves the dilemma, explaining that both approaches are essentially the same as knowledge is acquired via a continuous process of inventing and discovering, inhaling and exhaling, imposing laws on nature and observing them. ... Read more

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This Guide provides an ambitious state-of-the-art survey of the fundamental themes, problems, arguments and theories constituting the philosophy of computing.

• A complete guide to the philosophy of computing and information.
  
• Comprises 26 newly-written chapters by leading international experts.
  
• Provides a complete, critical introduction to the field.
  
• Each chapter combines careful scholarship with an engaging writing style.
  
• Includes an exhaustive glossary of technical terms.
  
• Ideal as a course text, but also of interest to researchers and general readers.

Customer Reviews (2)

Reference work
I go back to this work to find the backup for many things I have to say on ontologies, modeling, etc.My field is M&S of complex systems and systems understanding in general.A great collection of works with good references.Start here and check your ideas.

A must-read for philosophers and computer scientists
This book is really worth reading. It contains a collection of articles by top-class philosophers somehow related to this new branch of Philosophy, coined as Philosophy of Computing and Information.
All articles, with no exception but for various reasons, are extremely interesting. Some articles present interesting surveys of some specific topics, while others reflect very much the particular ideas and studies of their authors. Common to all articles - probably due to orientation and the example of the book organiser - is that the authors did not try to pretend they would be presenting "neutral" views about their topics. This sincerity is evident throughout the whole book and much appreciated.
It is likely, therefore, that any reader will learn a lot from certain chapters of the book, cheer the contents of others for agreeing with those contents, and feel like being provoked and invited to a discussion by the authors through other chapters for disagreeing with their contents. In any of these three cases, the reader shall feel pleased when reading the carefully written articles that comprise this book. ... Read more

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The science fiction genre maintains a remarkable hold on the imagination and enthusiasm of the filmgoing public, captivating large audiences worldwide and garnering ever-larger profits. Science fiction films entertain the possibility of time travel and extraterrestrial visitation and imaginatively transport us to worlds transformed by modern science and technology. They also provide a medium through which questions about personal identity, moral agency, artificial consciousness, and other categories of experience can be addressed. In The Philosophy of Science Fiction Film, distinguished authors explore the storylines, conflicts, and themes of fifteen science fiction film classics, from Metropolis to The Matrix. Editor Steven M. Sanders and a group of outstanding scholars in philosophy, film studies, and other fields raise science fiction film criticism to a new level by penetrating the surface of the films to expose the underlying philosophical arguments, ethical perspectives, and metaphysical views. Sanders's introduction presents an overview and evaluation of each essay and poses questions for readers to consider as they think about the films under discussion.The first section, "Enigmas of Identity and Agency," deals with the nature of humanity as it is portrayed in Blade Runner, Dark City, Frankenstein, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, and Total Recall. In the second section, "Extraterrestrial Visitation, Time Travel, and Artificial Intelligence," contributors discuss 2001: A Space Odyssey, The Terminator, 12 Monkeys, and The Day the Earth Stood Still and analyze the challenges of artificial intelligence, the paradoxes of time travel, and the ethics of war. The final section, "Brave Newer World: Science Fiction Futurism," looks at visions of the future in Metropolis, The Matrix, Alphaville, and screen adaptations of George Orwell's 1984.

Customer Reviews (3)

Adding new life to the subject
The editor of this book, Steven M. Sanders, is Prof. Emeritus of Philosophy at Bridgewater State College, Mass.

This book breathes new life into some old doctrines. It is part of a series on the Philosophy of Popular Culture which takes a deeper look at some of the things we watch and enjoy.

Science fiction has always intrigued audiences, whether it predicts a titillating future or a dark one, and here the editor has collected essays from 13 other noted scholars, who look into popular films like "Blade Runner" and "Dark City," You'll recognize science fiction films new and old in here: "Total Recall, Metropolis," "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" and "The Terminator"--to name a few.

The discussions range from searching the films with questions about what it means to be human, and what is the self and how do we identify ourselves as individuals?- to technology and ethics, and even paradoxes of time travel, in such films as "The Terminator" and "12 Monkeys." These classic questions of ancient philosophy are wood for the fires of the new philosophies like existentialism and nihilism--which find science fiction film a great source for speculation.

That this book exists at all is a joy to me, who has heard the science fiction genre dismissed as irrelevant and not applicable to modern life--even when it was most of modern life which the genre predicted! I know a few critics who could stand to read it immediately.

I can recommend this book to philosophy students and their teachers, along with the rest of us who are still searching to answers to the mystery of humanity and its place in the cosmos.

Armchair Interviews agrees.

Expertly compiled and edited
Expertly compiled and edited by Steven M. Sanders (emeritus Professor of Philosophy, Bridgewater State College, Massachusetts), "The Philosophy Of Science Fiction Film" focuses upon science fiction films in terms of their philosophical implications and issues including 'Engimas of Identity and Agency'; 'Extraterrestrial Visitation, Time Travel, and Artificial Intelligence; and Brave Newer World: Science Fiction Futurism. From Deborah Knight and George McKnight's 'What Is It to Be Human? Blade Runner and Dark City'; to Aeon J. Skoble's 'Technology and Ethics in The Day the Earth Stood Still'; to Jerold J. Abrams' 'The Dialectic of Enlightenment in Metropolis, "The Philosophy Of Science Fiction Film" offers erudite insights that are thoughtful and thought-provoking, superb examples of scholarship, and a seminal contribution to the study of science fiction films. "The Philosophy Of Science Fiction Film" is highly recommended for academic library collections, as well as the supplemental reading lists for students and non-specialist general readers with an interest in Cinematic Studies, Science Fiction & Fantasy, and Philosophy.

The Philosophy of the Improbable: An Exhilarating Journey
When I began reading this book, I must admit that I was a bit hesitant about my own ability to be able to understand and appreciate its many nuances. And frankly, I was also a little suspicious of its intent, given the plethora of "Philosophy of ...[you name it]" books that have been appearing on the philosophy and popular culture shelves of bookstores everywhere in the last few years.

However, I plunged ahead. What I found was a tremendously varied and insightful volume that turned out to be both stimulating and enjoyable. Best of all, one does not have to be a philosopher or a hard-core science-fiction film buff to find Steven M. Sanders' volume so fulfilling.

Also, what sets this volume apart from other philosophy and popular culture texts I've perused is its immense readability. Editor/author Sanders has compiled a roster of contributors that present new and stimulating ideas about the relationship of philosophy and the science fiction film, in the most enlivening and comprehensible ways. The writing here is clear and insightful. Sanders' own introduction, as well as his essay on interpreting the concept of paranoia in the 1956 film, "Invasion of the Body Snatchers," is both illuminating and memorable.

Each essay takes a different science fiction film and holds it under a philosophical looking glass. After reading this book, I rented some of the films being discussed, and sure enough, I was afforded some new ways of looking at each film, even those I've seen many times over the years.

The University of Kentucky Press has given us a sure-fire winner of a book, and I recommend it without hesitation. ... Read more

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Robert E. Myers has assembled a collection of essays which explore aspects of the relationship between science fiction and philosophy. Contributing authors focus on significant issues, questions, and ideas that penetrate to the center of our individual and social conceptions of human existence, and affect the ways in which we attempt to comprehend our world, ourselves, and others. The authors bring to this study the insights of diverse disciplines: philosophy, social science, poetry, linguistics, future studies, medical humanities, and literature. Dealing exclusively with topics relating to science fiction and philosophy they offer an initial exploration of the philosophical problems within science fiction and their implications. ... Read more

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This volume provides a lucid and distinct introduction to multiculturalism and the philosophy of social science.

• Distinct, engaging and timely 'multicultural' approach
• Clear, non-technical overview of the nature of social inquiry
• First volume of outstanding new "Contemporary Philosophy" series

Customer Reviews (3)

Fay's ideas need to be widely read.
Fay's book presents a very clear description of 12 theses in what he called "a multicultural philosophy of social science." His view goes beyond the dualistic views of pre-postmodern philosophy and social science.His book will be useful for undergraduate students, graduate students, and laymen wishing to understand a world in which many people seem to live with a very narrow perspective of our globalizing and multicultural world. Cultures seem to clash when people do not share experiences with those living in the clashing cultures.The clashing cultures can be Muslim vs. Western industrial cultures, one tribal culture vs. a neighboring tribal culture, and in the 2008 election year Republicans vs. Democrats.

As a research engineer and later a local government planner before retiring, I have spent the last several years expanding my worldviews to encompass those of Muslims in the US, and in the Middle East, those of Republicans and Democrats, Americans with narrow though focused worldviews and others with broad worldviews.Unfortunately many newscasters and journalists seem not to have digested Fay's ideas and they relish the support of audiences with narrow perspectives to which they can appeal.

Some of my ideas seem to follow Fay's approach on a simpler level.They are on a simpler level, because I am familiar with and have interacted with people with narrow perspectives working for city and county governments, and with some engineers, business men, elected officials and the like. My focus has been to understand the causes of polarization in our legislatures, political parties and in world affairs.

I highly recommend Fay's book.I wish Fay's ideas would be more widely studied in colleges and in discussion groups.

You can view some of my ideas at [notess.com/cn]

Brain Fay
This book is great for a person who has some philosohical knowledge but it is hard to understand if you havent learned anything about philosophy before.

Readable, groundbreaking, textbook
Other introductory texts in the philosophy of the social sciences tend to concentrate on rational-agent models and the classic debates over the place of nomothetic (law-based) explanations in the human sciences.This book is the first to offer a genuinely introductory account of the philosophical problems involved in interpretative social science, i.e. social science geared towards gaining an understanding of the meaning of other people's actions.Fay manages to explain practically all of the important issues involved, weaving them into a fairly natural progression of ideas that arise from the the decision to try to understand the speech and actions of someone belonging to a different culture or historical period (see the table of contents on the book's webpage for details).

My only complaint regarding the book is that it does not really offer enough of an overview of the structure and history of the debates surrounding the ideas it explains - who said what and in which intellectual context. ... Read more

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Philosophy of Social Science provides a tightly argued yet accessible introduction to the philosophical foundations of the human sciences, including economics, anthropology, sociology, political science, psychology, history, and the disciplines emerging at the intersections of these subjects with biology. Philosophy is unavoidable for social scientists because the choices they make in their disciplines force them to take sides on philosophical matters. Conversely, the philosophy of social science is equally necessary for philosophers since the social sciences must inform their understanding of human action, norms, and social institutions.

The third edition retains an illuminating interpretation of the enduring relations between the conduct of inquiry in the social sciences and the fundamental problems of philosophy, with accessible considerations of positivism, European philosophy of history, causation, statistical laws, quantitative models, and postempiricist social science, and it reflects developments in social research over the past two decades that have informed debate in the philosophy of social science. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

An introduction to the philosophical foundations of human sciences
Professor of Philosophy at Duke University Alexander Rosenberg brings us the third edition of "The Philosophy of Social Science", a thoroughly argued yet still accessible introduction to the philosophical foundations of human sciences such as economics, anthropology, sociology, and many others. New to this edition include an overview of the eclipse of behaviorism in psychology and the rise of game theory in economics, consideration of problems for functionalism in social science that must be addressed by an appeal to biology and especially Darwinism thinking; and so much more on top of that. "The Philosophy of Social Science" is highly recommended to college philosophy shelves as a complete reference and to non-specialized general readers with an interest in psychology.

Must Read
As a recent college graduate, I can say I've learned more about the social sciences and its theoretical underpinnings from this book than I did my entire 5 years in college.While Rosenberg's survey of the social sciences is certainly not exhaustive, he covers many core family disciplines of the social sciences, such as economics and sociology, and their philosophical foundations. Moreover, Rosenberg even includes a review of critical theory, a discipline that probably would not have been mentioned by many mainstream thinkers.The way he uses the problems of philosophy, especially metaphysics and ethics, to compare and contrast the natural sciences and social sciences is powerfully insightful.For anyone interested in the study of human behavior or philosophy, this book is highly recommended.

Best introduction to the real philosophy of social science
There are many books out there with the same title as this one. But if you want to know what the real issues in the philosophy of social science are, and how they connect to the basic questions of philosophy--from Plato to Popper--this is the book to read. Rosenberg uniquely combines expertise across the range of problems about social scientific method with an eye to the sides social scientists actually have to take about fundamental questions. The comparison of rational choice, functionalist, and Darwinian explanations of cross-cousin marriage rules is just one example! ... Read more

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This anthology traces the development of thinking in the philosophy of science from logical positivism to the present. Subsequent articles often clarify or critique preceding ones. As a result, students get a sense of how philosophical theories develop in response to one another. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

not 'perfect'
so-so text...
it's funny that it represents reason as opposed to the faith (meaning Christian faith). The entire section is called "reason versus faith" - that's weird... Faith is not versus reason.
Book is kinda alright, but it subliminally biased a little (well, where are the unbiased textbooks anyway?)...
Text presents some good essays, but could have been better...

Argumentation at Its Best!
This book is organized under 9 sections each containing several papers and excerpts written by well-known philosophers of science. Each section deals with a major theme in the philosophy of science such as the nature of scientific theories, reason vs. faith, some contemporary issues like the philosophy of physics, psychology and biology, and more.

What makes this book unique is that each paper (or excerpt) is followed by a paper (or excerpt) supporting an opposing argument to one just presented. The juxtaposition of two texts provides the reader with adequate material with which to ponder. The author's purpose does not appear to give the reader two options from which to choose the "better" argument, for this would be the fallacy of false alternative... nor does the author do this to encourage the reader to find a "happy" compromise between opposing arguments, for this would be utilizing the defeated Socratic dialectic... the purpose is to promote critical thinking in the reader. Analogically speaking, this book is to the reader (philosopher) what weights are to a body builder. It is the food for thought! A well-organized intelligent read I highly recommend!

A walk in the clouds of thought
As a former student of Dr.Schick, I can credit him with teaching me the value of critical thinking, and how to do it.Here, is an excellent collection of great thinkers, with insight and commentary on the nature of life, man, and mind.Anyone who wants to know his or her place in the world, or simply enjoys lively debate and exploration into the great questions that shape our world, would appreciate this edition. ... Read more

Product Description
The essays in this volume address three fundamental questions in the philosophy of science: What is required for some fact to be evidence for a scientific hypothesis?What does it mean to say that a scientist or a theory explains a phenomenon? Should scientific theories that postulate "unobservable" entities such as electronsbe construed realistically as aiming to correctly describe a world underlying what is directly observable, or should such theories be understood as aiming to correctly describe only the observable world?
Distinguished philosopher of science Peter Achinstein provides answers to each of these questions in essays written over a period of more than 40 years. The present volume brings together his important previously published essays, allowing the reader to confront some of the most basic and challenging issues in the philosophy of science, and to consider Achinstein's many influential contributions to the solution of these issues.
He presents a theory of evidence that relates this concept to probability and explanation; a theory of explanation that relates this concept to an explaining act as well as to the different ways in which explanations are to be evaluated; and an empirical defense of scientific realism that invokes both the concept of evidence and that of explanation. ... Read more