Smoke and Mirrors: How Science Reflects RealityRealism is an enlightening story, a tale which enriches our experience and makes it more intelligible. Yet this wonderful picture of humanity's best efforts at knowledge has been badly bruised by numerous critics. James Robert Brown in Smoke and Mirrors fights back against figures such as Richard Rorty, Bruno Latour, Michael Ruse and Hilary Putnam who have attacked realist accounts of science. But this volume is not wholly devoted to combating Rorty and others who blow smoke in our eyes; the second half is concerned with arguing that there are some amazing ways in which science mirrors the world. The role of abstraction, abstract objects and a priori ways of getting at reality are all explored in showing how science reflects reality. Smoke and Mirrors is a defence of science and knowledge in general as well as a defence of a particular way of understanding science. It is of interest to all those who wish or need to know how science works. |
Contents
I | 1 |
II | 2 |
III | 3 |
IV | 5 |
V | 6 |
VI | 8 |
VII | 10 |
VIII | 13 |
XXXII | 89 |
XXXIII | 91 |
XXXIV | 98 |
XXXV | 100 |
XXXVI | 102 |
XXXVII | 110 |
XXXVIII | 112 |
XXXIX | 113 |
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Common terms and phrases
abstract entities Aharonov-Bohm effect anti-realist argument atom axioms behaviour belief bioassay causal empiricism claim classical mechanics conjecture counter-example Darwinian definition diagrams distinction electrons ematics empirical empiricism empiricist energy epistemology evolutionary example exist explanation fact fallibilism fallible false Feynman Feynman diagram field Figure Fraassen Friction Gaussian curvature genetically God's-eye-view human idea ideal epistemic conditions independent inductive inference knowledge Lakatos Lakatos's Latour laws of nature mathematical measurement method of proofs micro-structure moral natural kinds Newton-Smith novel predictions objects observable particle phenomena philosophers photon platonism platonists polyhedron Popper's premisses priori problem proofs and refutations properties Putnam quantum mechanics quarks Radiation realist reality reason result role Rorty Rorty's Ruse Ruse's scientists sense set theory simply social sociobiology Sociologists of science solenoid sort space spin success of science theorem things thought experiment TRF(H true truth unforced agreement universe vector potential verisimilitude Whewell
References to this book
Erikson, Eskimos, and Columbus: Medieval European Knowledge of America James Robert Enterline No preview available - 2004 |
The Oxford Handbook of Contemporary Philosophy Frank Jackson,Michael Smith No preview available - 2007 |