Philosophy of science Books

Book SynopsisUncommon Sense is an innovative and lively examination of science and its historical development as an unnatural mode of thought. This book looks at why science developed in the West and what its implications have been for our society. This book will also challenge many assumptions about the nature and role of science in our world. Professor of Physics, Alan Cromer, examines not only the history of science and its unique mode of thought but also the way that science is taught and suggests ways of restructuring the curriculum.Uncommon Sense is an illuminating look at science, filled with provocative observations. Whether challenging Thomas Kuhn''s theory of scientific revolutions, or extolling the virtues of Euclid''s Elements, Alan Cromer is always insightful, outspoken, and refreshingly original.Trade Review... this book is a healthy antidote to all the deconstructing of the remarkable achievements of Western science that is going on in modern academic life. * Harold Morowitz, Nature *Table of ContentsAspects of Science; Mind and Magic; From Apes to Agriculture; Prophets and Poets; Theorems and Planets; Sages and Scholars; Towns and Gowns; Science and Nonsense; Are we Alone?; Education for an Age of Science; Appendix A: Hindu Trigonometry; Appendix B: An Integrated Science Course.

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Book SynopsisMolecular biology as a distinct scientific discipline had its origins in chemistry and physical biochemistry, gradually emerging in the period between 1930 and the elucidation of DNA in the mid 1950s. Today this field has risen to a dominant position, and with its focus on deciphering genetic structure, it has endowed scientists with unprecedented power over life. In this fascinating study, however, Lily Kay argues that molecular biology did not evolve in a random fashion but, rather, was the result of systematic efforts by key scientists and their supporting foundations to direct the development of biological research toward a preconceived vision of science and society. The author traces and analyses the conceptual roots of molecular biology and the social matrix in which it was developed, focusing on the role of leading researchers headquartered at Caltech, and on the Rockefeller Foundation''s sponsorship of the new science. The study thus explores a number of vital, sometimes controTrade Reviewthe book has the great merit to give insight in the expectation of young American scientists and in what troubles their minds! * Cellular and Molecular Biology, vol.43, no.5, July 1997 *Table of Contents1. "Social Control:" the Rockefeller Foundation's Agenda in the Human Sciences, 1913-1933 ; 2. The Technological Frontier: Southern California and the Emergence of Life Science at Caltech ; 3. Visions and Realitites: The Biology Division in the Morgan Era ; Interlude 1 - The Protein Paradigm ; 4. From Flies to Molecules: Physiological Genetics in the Morgan Era ; 5. A Convergence of Goals: From Physical Chemistry to Bio-Organic Chemistry ; 6. The Spoils of War: Immunochemistry and Serological Genetics, 1940-1945 ; 7. Microorganisms and Macromanagement: Beadle's Return to Caltech ; 8. The Molecular Empire

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Book SynopsisFor many of us, the great scientific discoveries of the modern age -- the Big Bang, evolution, quantum physics, relativity -- point to an existence that is bleak, devoid of meaning, pointless. But in The Sacred Depths of Nature, eminent biologist Ursula Goodenough shows us that the scientific world view need not be a source of despair. Indeed, it can be a wellspring of solace and hope. This eloquent volume reconciles the modern scientific understanding of reality with our timeless spiritual yearnings for reverence and continuity. Looking at topics such as evolution, emotions, sexuality, and death, Goodenough writes with rich, uncluttered detail about the workings of nature in general and of living creatures in particular. Her luminous clarity makes it possible for even non scientists to appreciate that the origins of life and the universe are no less meaningful because of our increasingly scientific understanding of them. At the end of each chapter, Goodenough''s spiritual reflections Trade ReviewThe groundwork for a religious naturalism is superbly laid - in this respect the detail and precision with which she [Goodenough] presents the context of our human experience is an important advance on previous authors. The structure of her book is also an important innovation, in its alternation of third-person and first-person perspectives. Most importantly of all, she presents a highly coherent case for the possibility of a planetary ethic which bypasses the authority of scriptural tradition deriving its authority instead from science * Ecotheology *

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Book SynopsisIn this book, Roy Sorensen presents the first general theory of the thought experiment. He analyses a wide variety of thought experiments, ranging from aesthetics to zoology, and explores what thought experiments are, how they work, and what their positive and negative aspects are. Sorensen also sets his theory within an evolutionary framework and integrates recent advances in experimental psychology and the history of science.Trade Reviewstimulating ... written in a vivid jaunty style ... The array of philosophical positions and teh many examples are presented with such clarity and freshness ... that this book can be recommended both as an unusual but engaging introduction to philosophy and as a sensitive analysis and defence of the cognitive power of thought experiments. * Times Higher Education Supplement *simply and clearly written, and virtually all of it is instructive and enjoyable to read. * George Schlesinger, University of North Carolina *Roy A. Sorensen's book is a useful collection of reflections on the definition and logic of thought experiments. It contains some splendid examples ... There are painstaking lists of respects in which thought experiments are, and are not, like ordinary experiments. * Simon Blackburn, Times Literary Supplement *Roy Sorensen's aim in his stimulating book is to demystify and defend the place of thought experiments in both science and philosophy ... This book is written in a vivid, jaunty style ... There is sustained argument, but also rapid movement from one case to another. The array of philosophical positions and the many examples are presented with such clarity and freshness, however, that this book can be recommended both as an unusual but engaging introduction to philosophy and as a sensitive analysis and defence of the cognitive power of thought experiments. * Times Higher Education Supplement *The book is tightly reasoned, and written in an engaging, often jocular style, Sorensen advances and defends his model in the manner of someone sincerely and pragmatically seeking comprehension, and is never didactic or ponderous. * James W. McAllister, University of Leiden, Mind, Vol. 102, No. 408, Oct '93 *The first full-scale treatment of thought experiments ... The book is clearly written and largely nontechnical. It bears on the nature of theorizing in general, owing to its careful treatment of a wide range of cases of theoretical activity. Recommended for all libraries. * Choice *[An] important new book ... Sorensen articulates what is sure to become one of the central views about thought experiments, but he also provides an excellent introduction to this wonderful subject. The topic has rather suddenly become a growth industry. Besides its other virtues, Roy Sorensen's Thought Experiments also offers a very good leg in. * Canadian Journal of Philosophy *Table of ContentsIntroduction ; 1. Our Most Curious Device ; 2. Scepticism About Thought Experiments ; 3. Mach and Inner Cognitive Africa ; 4. The Wonder of Armchair Inquiry ; 5. Kuhntradictions ; 6. The Logical Structure of Thought Experiment ; 7. Conflict Vagueness and Precisification ; 8. The Evolution of Thought Experiment ; 9. Are Thought Experiments? ; 10. Fallacies and Antifallacies ; Notes ; Select Bibliography ; Subject Index ; Name Index

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Book SynopsisThis book brings together an impressive group of leading scholars in the sciences of complexity, and a few workers on the interface of science and religion, to explore the wider implications of complexity studies. It includes an introduction to complexity studies and explores the concept of information in physics and biology and various philosophical and religious perspectives. Chapter authors include Paul Davies, Greg Chaitin, Charles Bennett, Werner Loewenstein, Paul Dembski, Ian Stewart, Stuart Kauffman, Harold Morowitz, Arthur Peacocke, and Niels H. Gregersen.Trade ReviewMelanie Mitchell's book is most enjoyable, truly inspiring, skillfully written, and, above all, beautifully clear. The author's enthusiasm and passion for the field make the book fascinating to read. Her rigor, clarity, and healthy skepticism make the book sound and the field scientifically stronger. It is an excellent and rigorous account of the scientific field of complexity. She proves by example that it is possible to explain complex systems science with rigor, breadth, depth, and - above all - exquisite clarity * Artificial Life *Table of ContentsPart 1: Introduction ; 1. Towards an Emergentist Worldview ; Part 2: Defining Complexity ; 2. Randomness and Mathematical Proof ; 3. "How to define Complexity in Physics, and Why?" ; Part 3: The Concept of Information in Physics and Biology ; 4. The Emergence of Autonomous Agents ; 5. Complexity and The Arrow of Time ; 6. Can Evolutionary Algorithms Generate Specified Complexity? ; 7. The Second Law of Thermodynamics and the Fourth Law of Thermodynamics ; 8. Two Arrows from a Mighty Bow ; Part 4: Philosophical and Religious Perspectives ; 9. Emergence of Transcendence ; 10. Complexity, Emergence and Divine Creativity ; 11. From Anthropic Design to Self-Organized Complexity

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Book SynopsisDa Costa and French explore the consequences of adopting a pragmatic notion of truth in the philosophy of science--in other words, accepting a theory as valid when it may only be partially true rather than wholly true. Their framework sheds new light on issues dealing with belief, theory acceptance, and the realism-antirealism debate, as well as the nature of scientific models and their heuristic development.Trade ReviewThis is an important book. It summarizes and connects significant recent developments in several areas of philosophy, and develops a coherent approach to a well defined and important problem. * The Review of Metaphysics *

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Book SynopsisCity of Light tells the story of fiber optics, tracing its transformation from 19th-century parlor trick into the foundation of our global communications network. Written for a broad audience by a journalist who has covered the field for twenty years, the book is a lively account of both the people and the ideas behind this revolutionary technology. The basic concept underlying fiber optics was first explored in the 1840s when researchers used jets of water to guide light in laboratory demonstrations. The idea caught the public eye decades later when it was used to create stunning illuminated fountains at many of the great Victorian exhibitions. The modern version of fiber optics--using flexible glass fibers to transmit light--was discovered independently five times through the first half of the century, and one of its first key applications was the endoscope, which for the first time allowed physicians to look inside the body without surgery. Endoscopes became practical in 1956 when Trade Review"In this deft history, Hecht, a writer for the British weekly New Scientist, shows how the illuminated fountains that thrilled crowds at the great 19th-century exhibitions convinced scientists that light can be guided along narrow tubes. In our century, scientists used these tubes of light first to look inside the human body and then, as the physics of wave transmission were better understood, to transmit audio and optical information. Hecht explains which technological advances have made fiber optics the backbone of our telephone system in the last 10-15 years and how everyday applications should increase exponentially once fibers are connected directly to our homes. . .[g]eneral science buffs should enjoy his account of the development of the technology that will change our lives in many unexpected ways in the next century." --Publishers Weekly"Jeff Hecht brings to life the people, the competition, and the human drama behind this technological breakthrough. Prepare yourself for a delightful read as you discover what made the global village called the City of Light a reality whose potential for social change is still being fathomed." --Richard N. Zare, Marguerite Blake Wilbur Professor in Natural Science, Department of Chemistry, Stanford University"This book is a revelation and ranks with the best popular writing on science and technology. Jeff Hecht's meticulous research proves that even our newest technologies have a long past. His book tells the enthralling story of fiber optics, used today in nearly every facet of life, from transmitting digitized data to peering into and even operating on the human body. With an eye for forceful personalities, innovators and visionaries, he takes us from the birth of fiber optics in Victorian light-guiding parlor tricks and illuminated fountains to the Information Age, with limitless quantities of pure information coruscating globally along beams of light in glass fibers. Hecht embraces the human drama of the inventors with all their successes and foibles and transforms the city of light into an entertaining and illuminating celebration." --Martin C. Carey, Harvard University Medical School, Senior Physician at Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston"This is one of the best popular books on a technical subject I have ever seen. It is written in a lively style and it covers all parts of the optical fiber story, from the very beginning to the present days, and, amazingly, all over the world." --Laszlo Solymar, Professor of Applied Electromagnetism, University of Oxford"A marvelous chronicle of fiber optics technology which in large measure has created the Information Age. Jeff Hecht has not only presented the history of this remarkable technology--uncovering threads which I did not know--but captured the drama and human aspects which make this an interesting read for anyone. All the celebrities are here, each building on the other's foundation." --Donald B. Keck, Division Vice President, Director of Optics & Photonics, Corning, Inc"As research manager responsible for the teams at STL who pioneered the use of optical fibres for communications, I can say with confidence that this book is a most carefully researched, very comprehensive and balanced account of world-wide success and failure. It makes fascinating and delightful reading." --Charles Sandbank, Department of Trade and Industry, United Kingdom, and Visiting Professor of Information Systems Design, University of Bradford"An engineer by training, New Scientist correspondent Hecht explores the history of fiber optics in this interesting and far-reaching study. Beginning in Victorian Europe, his chronology traces the complex but fascinating drama of one of the key elements in today's global telecommunications explosion. . . . This readable, well-documented, and scholarly text includes an informative glossary of names and a concise reference to fiber-optic development. Highly recommended for all public and academic libraries."--Library Journal"In his latest book, City of Light . . . , science writer Jeff Hecht expertly tells the story of the painstaking discovery, rapid development, and remarkable applications of optical fibers. Hecht, a veteran contributing editor to Laser Focus World, has covered fiberoptic technology for more than 20 years. His book, the latest addition to Oxford's splendid Sloan Technology Series, traces the story of fiberoptics from a Victorian parlor trick to the foundation of today's global communications network. I strongly recommend City of Light for your own bookshelf and for anyone with an interest in communications."--Laser Focus World"The technology of optical-fibre communications is arguably one of the most spectacular developments of the late 20th century. It touches all of our lives on a daily basis, and has created the worldwide communications that we all take for granted and that we expect to supply all our future needs. It is surprising, then, how little attention this remarkable story of fibre optics has received. This book makes an excellent start at redressing the balance. It provides for the first time a complete chronicle of the technology over the last 150 years, concentrating on the years to 1983. . . . This book will show you how this position has been achieved, who the main characters were, and how they were inspired by visions of the future that we now occupy. All in all, the author presents a wonderfully rich story that has been painstakingly researched and contains some excellent source notes."--Physics World"This is the story of fiber optics, tracing its transformation from nineteenth century parlor trick into the foundation of our global communications network. Written for a broad audience by Hecht, an engineer and the Boston correspondent for New Scientist, who has covered the field for twenty years. The book is a lively account of both the people and the ideas behind this revolutionary technology. The basic concept underlying fiber optics was first explored in the 1840s when researchers used jets of water to guide light in laboratory demonstrations. The idea caught the public eye decades later when it was used to create stunning illuminated fountains at many of the great Victorian exhibitions. . . . In 1988, the first transatlantic fiber-optic cable connected Europe with North America, and now fiber optics is the key element in global communications."--Science Writers"Jeff Hecht's fascinating account of this undersung technology goes back 150 years to find the origins of fiber optics. Then he chronicles the many ingenious and determined engineers who fashioned it into a technology that festoons the globe with cables carrying pulses of photons. It was harder than pioneering copper links because supplanting an existing technology needs more persuasion than establishing the first one. And there was competition from the satellite industry, as well as unexpected setbacks, such as sharks who ignored copper but chewed fiber optic cables. Hecht tells a good tale, combining a light journalistic touch with a scholarly knowledge of the industry he has covered for over two decades. The story is not over yet, but this is a rich account of how we got this far in a technology that really has fueled a revolution."--Jon Turney at Amazon.co.uk"The most powerful argument against monopoly is not that it inflates its owners' profit . . . , but rather that it retards innovation. . . . The decision of the British Post Office to pursue the new technology; the discoveries by Corning Glass of new pure fiber materials; the advent of the semiconductor laser as a source of light . . . ; the rapid progress of the late 1970s . . . ; the climactic decision in 1984 of MCI to install a transcontinental fiber network in North America--all these developments in some sense flowed out of half-a-dozen years of missionary zeal by [Charles] Kao . . . This is the story to be gleaned from 'City of Light: The Story of Fiber Optics,' by Jeff Hecht . . . [I]t is clear . . . that he has written an authoritative history of an otherwise all-but-invisible industry. . . . The overwhelming moral here is that large numbers of persons are involved in the accomplishment of any significant innovation-not a solitary 'inventor' or two."--Chicago Tribune"Hecht's narrative is a model of the sort--exactly what might have been hoped from a writer who covered the industry for 25 years for trade publications, yet who retains both the detachment and perspective necessary to put a narrative construction on events. . . . Hecht now covers all manner of topics . . . for Britain's New Scientist magazine. . . . Trained as an engineer himself, Hecht has a gift for conveying the fog of uncertainty about the possibilities in which scientists, engineers and managers must make their choices about the approaches to pursue. . . . He begins with an account of the spectacular 'luminous fountains' that were centerpieces of the great electrical expositions in London, Paris and Chicago at the end of the 19th century, then traces the slow zigzag development of the idea from early applications . . . to theoretical investigation of the underlying principles of light transmission by glass by those involved in the telephone industry."--Boston Globe"Hecht offers a fascinating chronicle of people, events, and technological innovations that led to modern fiber optics. Though he traces this history to the use of glass in Egypt at least 4,500 years ago, to Romans drawing glass into fibers, and then to some pertinent events in the 1700s, his tale primarily covers relevant developments over the past century and a half. Among the earliest of these involves the ability of water to guide light and the subsequent use of this feature to create the luminous fountains for the 1889 Universal Exposition in Paris. Hecht identifies the individuals and their contributions, some successful and others not, in the sequence of events that today makes possible enormous communication bandwidths. . . . Appendixes with annotated lists of people and organizations; chronology of developments; extensive notes. General readers; professionals; two-year technical program students."--Choice"This is a story of the technical advances in the telecommunications industry, brought about by the continuously increasing demands for greater capacity. (How we love to talk on the phone!) A recurring theme--that photons would be better than electrons for carrying signals--appears in each new generation, but at the time, glass (the obvious material for transmitting light) could not be fashioned into wires with an acceptably low attenuation rate. Finally, as in all good stories, the hero wins, and fiber-optic cables, become a technological reality. . . . Jeff Hecht has done an admirable job in delving into the personalities of many of the key contributors."--American Scientist"This latest entry by engineering-trained science journalist Jeff Hecht is a layperson's complete account of the history of fiber optics, from their pre-electric beginnings. Like someone actually working with fibers, Hecht weaves multiple threads into his story. Read the book, which is certainly worthwhile. It is written for the public, with the scientific principles simply explained and well-illustrated. The inclusion of a large number of photographs of the players and their apparatus adds to the appeal of the story, as do a timeline and "dramatis personae" included." - Newsletter No. 51Table of Contents1. Introduction: Building a City of Light ; 2. Guiding Light and Luminous Fountains (1841-1890) ; 3. Fibers of Glass ; 4. The Quest for Remote Viewing: Television and the Legacy of Sword Swallowers (1895-1940) ; 5. A Critical Insight: The Birth of the Clad Optical Fiber (1950-1955) ; 6. 99 Percent Perspiration: The Birth of an Industry (1954-1960) ; 7. A Vision of the Future: Communicating with Light (1880-1960) ; 8. The Laser Stimulates the Emission of New Ideas (1960-1969) ; 9. "The Only Thing Left Is Optical Fibers" (1960-1969) ; 10. Trying to Sell a Dream (1965-1970) ; 11. Breakthrough: The Clearest Glass in the World (1966-1972) ; 12. Recipes for Grains of Salt: The Semiconductor Laser (1962-1977) ; 13. A Demonstration for the Queen (1970-1975) ; 14. Three Generations in Five Years (1975-1983) ; 15. Submarine Cables: Covering the Ocean Floor with Glass (1970-1995) ; 16. The Last Mile: An Elusive Vision ; 17. Reflections on the City of Light ; Appendix A. Dramatis Personae: Cast of Characters ; Appendix B. A Fiber-Optic Chronology

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Book SynopsisIn Inventing Temperature, Chang takes a historical and philosophical approach to examine how scientists were able to use scientific method to test the reliability of thermometers; how they measured temperature beyond the reach of thermometers; and how they came to measure the reliability and accuracy of these instruments without a circular reliance on the instruments themselves. Chang discusses simple epistemic and technical questions about these instruments, which in turn lead to more complex issues about the solutions that were developed.Trade Reviewthe most important book on this subject since Bridgman's classic work of 1927... Chang's book should become mandatory reading for anyone who wants to pursue the problem of measurement further. * Donald Gillies, The British Journal for the Philosophy of Science *[A] fascinating study * David Knight, BJHS, Vol. 39/4 *Table of ContentsChronology: 1: Keeping the Fixed Points Fixed 2: Spirit, Air, and Quicksilver 3: To Go Beyond 4: Theory, Measurement, and Absolute Temperature 5: Measurement, Justification, and Scientific Progress

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Book SynopsisThe relationship between science and religion is generally depicted in one of two ways. In one view, they are locked in an inevitable, eternal conflict in which one must choose a side. In the other, they are separate spheres, in which the truth claims of one have little bearing on the other. This collection of provocative essays by leading thinkers offers a new way of looking at this problematic relationship. The authors begin from the premise that both science and religion operate in, yet seek to reach beyond, specific historical, political, ideological, and psychological contexts. How may we understand science and religion as arising from, yet somehow transcending, human experience? The volume is divided into four sections. The first takes a fresh look at the relationship between science and religion in broad terms: as spheres of knowledge or belief, realms of experience, and sources of authority. The other three sections take on topics that have been focal points of conflict between science and religion: the nature of the cosmos, the origin of life, and the workings of the mind. Ultimately, the authors argue, by seeing science and religion as irrevocably tied to human experience we can move beyond simple either/or definitions of reality and arrive at a more rich and complex view of both science and religion.Table of ContentsChapter 1: Introduction: Rethinking Science and Religion-James D. Proctor Part I: Theory Chapter 2: "Thou Shall Not Freeze-Frame"- Or How Not to Misunderstand the Science and Religion Debate-Bruno Latour Chapter 3: Modernity and the Mystical: Techno-Science, Religion, and Human Self-Creation-Thomas A. Carlson Chapter 4: The Depths and Shallows of Experience-Hilary Putnam Chapter 5: In ____ We Trust: Science, Religion, and Authority-James D. Proctor Part II: Cosmos Chapter 6: Science, Religion, Metaphor, And History-Jeffrey Burton Russell Chapter 7: Kabbalah and Contemporary Cosmology: Discovering the Resonances-Daniel C. Matt Chapter 8: The Complementarity of Science and Religion-Harold Oliver Part III: Life Chapter 9: Darwin, Design, and the Unification of Nature-John Hedley Brooke Chapter 10: Darwinism and Christianity: Must They Remain at War or is Peace Possible?-Michael Ruse Chapter 11: Experiencing Evolution: Varieties of Psychological Responses to the Claims of Science and Religion-Ronald L. Numbers Part IV: Mind Chapter 12: Gods and the Mental Instincts that Create Them-Pascal Boyer Chapter 13: Empathy and Human Experience-Evan Thompson Chapter 14: Uneasy Alliances: The "Faith Factor" in Medicine; the "Health Factor" in Religion-Anne Harrington Chapter 15: The Intersubjective Worlds of Science and Religion-B. Alan Wallace

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Book SynopsisThis ambitious, interdisciplinary book seeks to explain the origins of religion using our knowledge of the evolution of cognition. A cognitive anthropologist and psychologist, Scott Atran argues that religion is a by-product of human evolution just as the cognitive intervention, cultural selection, and historical survival of religion is an accommodation of certain existential and moral elements that have evolved in the human condition.Trade ReviewWith almost 1000 references and discussions of most of human history and culture, from Neanderthal burials to suicide-bombers in the Palestinian anti-colonialist struggle, this book is consciously and truly encyclopedic in scope, and shows both breadth and depth of scholarship...the reader finds himself constantly challenged and provoked into an intellectual ping-pong game as he follows the arguments and the huge body of findings marshalled to buttress them...Atran managed to combine the old and the new by relating the automatic cognitive operations to existential anxieties. This combination will be a benchmark and a challenge to students od religion in all disciplines. * Benjamin Beit-Hallahmi, in Human Nature Review *In Gods We Trust is by far the best exploration so far of the evolutionary basis of religious behavior. * James Fox, Prof of Anthropology, Stanford University *Scott Atran, a cognitive anthropologist and psychologist, presents in this volume a rich, nuanced cognitive-evolutionary account of religion... From this vantage, religion is not doctrine, or institutions, or even faith. Religion ensues from the ordinary workings of the human mind as it deals with emotionally compelling problems of human existence, such as birth, aging, death, unforeseen calamities, and love... I have little but praise for this marvelous book... It does not take long to realize that one is dealing with a formidable mind; Atran is not only a fine writer, his breadth of knowledge and intellectual depth are nothing short of inspiring. This book is one to read slowly and savor. Keep a post-it pad handy, to mark the pages: the scope of this book is so wide-ranging that whatever your research interest in evolutionary psychology, it is bound to be touched upon at some point in these 400 pages of informative analysis. * Human Nature Review *Table of Contents1: Introduction: An Evolutionary Riddle Part I: Evolutionary Sources 2: The Mindless Agent: Evolutionary Adaptations and By-products 3: God's Creation: Evolutionary Origins of the Supernatural Part II: Absurd Commitments 4: Counterintuitive Worlds: The Mostly Mundane Nature of Religious Belief 5: The Sense of Sacrifice: Culture, Communication, and Commitment Part III: Ritual Passions 6: Ritual and Revelation: The Emotional Mind 7: Waves of Passion: The Neuropsychology of Religion Part IV: Mindblind Theories 8: Culture without Mind: Sociobiology and Group Selection 9: The Trouble with Memes: Inference versus Imitation in Cultural Creation 10: Conclusion: Why Religion Seems Here to Stay

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Book SynopsisWoodward''s long awaited book is an attempt to construct a comprehensive account of causation explanation that applies to a wide variety of causal and explanatory claims in different areas of science and everyday life. The book engages some of the relevant literature from other disciplines, as Woodward weaves together examples, counterexamples, criticisms, defenses, objections, and replies into a convincing defense of the core of his theory, which is that we can analyze causation by appeal to the notion of manipulation.Trade ReviewThe discussions are detailed and technical, but not such as to lead us to lose sight of the big picture; his treatment is illuminating... As other reviewers have stated, Woodward's book is outstanding. * James G. Murphy, Milltown Studies *this is a splendid book. It is beautifully and clearly written; and in countless ways sheds a flood of light on a range of topics to do with causation and explanation. It represents the most significant and substantial philosophical contribution to the study of these concepts in recent years. Reading and studying this book will be obligatory for everyone whose work bears directly or indirectly on the topics of causation and explanation. * Peter Menzies, Mind *Table of Contents1: Introduction and Preview 2: Causation and Manipulation 3: Interventions, Agency, and Counterfactuals 4: Causal Explanation: Background and Criticism 5: A Counterfactual Theory of Causal Explanation 6: Invariance 7: Causal Interpretation in Structural Models 8: The Causal Mechanical and Unificationist Models of Explanation

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Book SynopsisIt has long been thought that science is our best hope for realizing objective knowledge, but that, to deliver on this promise, it must be value free. Things are not so simple, however, as recent work in science studies makes clear. The contributors to this volume investigate where and how values are involved in science, and examine the implications of this involvement for ideals of objectivity.Trade ReviewHistorians of science whose work has led them to puzzle over their own and their historical actors' judgments of the relations between value and scientific fact will find much of value here. * Alan Richardson, Isis *Table of ContentsChapter 1: Introduction Part I: Case Studies Chapter 2: John Dupré: Fact and Value Chapter 3: Michael Root: How Should Sociologists Study Social Problems? Chapter 4: Lynn Hankinson and Allison Wylie: Coming to Terms with the Value(s) of Science: Insights from Feminist Science Scholarship Chapter 5: Brad Wray: Evaluating Scientists Part II: Evidence and Values Chapter 6: Elliott Sober: Evidence and Value Freedom Chapter 7: Heather Douglas: Rejecting the Ideal of Value Free Science Chapter 8: John Roberts: Is Logical Empiricism Committed to the Ideal of Value Free Science? Chapter 9: Sherri Roush: Constructive Empiricism and the Role of Social Values in Science Chapter 10: Gerald Doppelt: The Value Ladenness of Scientific Knowledge Chapter 11: Harold Kincaid: Contextualist Morals and Science Index

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Book SynopsisContains the philosophical account of new computer methods for empirical scientific research, and how they require a different approach to scientific method. This work draws a parallel between the ways in which such computational methods have enhanced our abilities to mathematically model the world, and the familiar ways.Trade Review"... many of the issues raised here are important and deserving of the attention the author pays to them." --CHOICE"This book is an excellent philosophical appraisal of the roles played by computers in modern science...an excellent philosophical discussion of the role of computational models in physics."--Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews

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Book SynopsisUniversally recognized as bringing about a revolutionary transformation of the notions of space, time, and motion in physics, Einstein''s theory of gravitation, known as general relativity, was also a defining event for 20th century philosophy of science. During the decisive first ten years of the theory''s existence, two main tendencies dominated its philosophical reception. This book is an extended argument that the path actually taken, which became logical empiricist philosophy of science, greatly contributed to the current impasse over realism, whereas new possibilities are opened in revisiting and reviving the spirit of the more sophisticated tendency, a cluster of viewpoints broadly termed transcendental idealism, and furthering its articulation. It also emerges that Einstein, while paying lip service to the emerging philosophy of logical empiricism, ended up siding de facto with the latter tendency. Ryckman''s work speaks to several groups, among them philosophers of science anTrade Reviewa treasure of philosophical wisdom and historical information into which everyone who has not delivered his soul to metaphysical realism will do well to delve. * Roberto Torretti, Mind *

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Book SynopsisNietzsche wrote in a scientific culture transformed by Darwin. He read extensively in German and British Darwinists, and his own works dealt often with such obvious Darwinian themes as struggle and evolution. Yet most of what Nietzsche said about Darwin was hostile: he sharply attacked many of his ideas, and often slurred Darwin himself as mediocre. So most readers of Nietzsche have inferred that he must have cast Darwin quite aside. But in fact, John Richardson argues, Nietzsche was deeply and pervasively influenced by Darwin. He stressed his disagreements, but was silent about several core points he took over from Darwin. Moreover, Richardson claims, these Darwinian borrowings were to Nietzsche''s credit: when we bring them to the surface we discover his positions to be much stronger than we had thought. Even Nietzsche''s radical innovations are more plausible when we expose their Darwinian ground; we see that they amount to a new Darwinism. The book''s four chapters show how four Trade ReviewThis lucid and closely argued book offers an infinitely more rewarding approach to Nietzsche than the once fashionable postmodernism. * Laird M. Easton, German Studies Review *Table of ContentsCONTENTS ; INTRODUCTION ; BIBLIOGRAPHY/VOCABULARY/INDEX

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Book SynopsisIt is widely acknowledged that a central aim of science is to achieve understanding of the world around us, and that possessing such understanding is highly important in our present-day society. But what does it mean to achieve this understanding? What precisely is scientific understanding? These are philosophical questions that have not yet received satisfactory answers. While there has been an ongoing debate about the nature of scientific explanation since Carl Hempel advanced his covering-law model in 1948, the related notion of understanding has been largely neglected, because most philosophers regarded understanding as merely a subjective by-product of objective explanations. By contrast, this book puts scientific understanding center stage. It is primarily a philosophical study, but also contains detailed historical case studies of scientific practice. In contrast to most existing studies in this area, it takes into account scientists'' views and analyzes their role in scientific debate and development. The aim of Understanding Scientific Understanding is to develop and defend a philosophical theory of scientific understanding that can describe and explain the historical variation of criteria for understanding actually employed by scientists. The theory does justice to the insights of such famous physicists as Werner Heisenberg and Richard Feynman, while bringing much-needed conceptual rigor to their intuitions. The scope of the proposed account of understanding is the natural sciences: while the detailed case studies derive from physics, examples from other sciences are presented to illustrate its wider validity.Trade ReviewA remarkable book... a magnificent example of how history and philosophy of science can be productively integrated. * Lakatos Award Committee *This is a superb book on the timely topic of understanding by one of its main commentators and leading scholars over the years. It constitutes a thorough, intricate, detailed and well-argued development of the original and very fertile position of the author on the topic. * Mauricio Suarez, Complutense University Madrid *This book * which creatively synthesizes two decades of his work into an elegant and provocative account of scientific understandingis a much anticipated and welcome addition to the literature.Kareem Khalifa, Notre Dame Philosophical Review *A unique account of scientific understanding, with an eye on how understanding is achieved. This account * which draws from two decades of researchis presented in a form that is pleasant to read, accessible to a variety of readers, embedded into the longstanding philosophical debate about scientific explanations, and buttressed with numerous examples and three in-depth case studies from the history of physics.Insa Lawler, Metascience *When it comes to getting clear on scientific understanding there is no better source to consult than Henk W. de Regt's Understanding Scientific Understanding. It is no exaggeration to say that this book is by far the best philosophical treatment of the concept of scientific understanding yet produced. * Kevin McCain, Science & Education *Table of ContentsPreface Acknowledgement Chapter 1. Introduction: The desire to understand Chapter 2. Understanding and the aims of science 2.1. The neglect of understanding 2.2. Understanding as an epistemic skill 2.3. Intelligibility, values, and objectivity 2.4. Understanding: a means and an end Chapter 3. Explanatory understanding: A plurality of models 3.1. From covering law explanation to unificatory understanding 3.2. Causal conceptions of explanatory understanding 3.3. Is causal and unificatory understanding complementary? 3.4. Unifying the plurality of modes of explanation Chapter 4. A contextual theory of scientific understanding 4.1. Understanding phenomena with intelligible theories 4.2. Criteria for intelligibility 4.3. Conceptual tools for understanding 4.4. The context-dependence of understanding 4.4.1. Contextuality and historical dynamics 4.4.2. Contextuality and the intuitions of philosophers 4.4.3. Contextuality and pragmatics 4.5. Reduction, realism and understanding 4.5.1. Understanding and realism 4.5.2. Understanding and reduction 4.6. Contextualism: risky relativism? Chapter 5. Metaphysics and intelligibility: Understanding gravitation 5.1. The (un)intelligibility of Newton's theory of universal gravitation 5.2. The seventeenth-century debate on gravitation 5.2.1. Isaac Newton: reluctant revolutionary 5.2.2. Christiaan Huygens: the conscience of corpuscularism 5.3. Actio in distans and intelligibility after Newton 5.4. Metaphysics as a resource for scientific understanding Chapter 6. Models and mechanisms: Physical understanding in the nineteenth century 6.1. Mechanical modeling in nineteenth-century physics 6.1.1. William Thomson: master modeler 6.1.2. James Clerk Maxwell: advocate of analogies 6.1.3. Ludwig Boltzmann: promoter of pictures 6.2. Molecular models for understanding gas phenomena 6.3. Boltzmann' Bildtheorie: a pragmatic view of understanding 6.4. The uses and limitations of mechanical models Chapter 7. Visualizability and intelligibility: Insight into the quantum world 7.1. Visualizability and intelligibility in classical physics 7.2. Quantum theory and the waning of Anschaulichkeit 7.3. The new quantum mechanics: a struggle for intelligibility 7.4. Electron spin: the power of visualization 7.5. Visualization in post-war quantum physics 7.6. Visualization as a tool for understanding Chapter 8. Conclusion: the many faces of understanding Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisA rival to Isaac Newton in mathematics and physics, Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz believed that our world--the best of all possible worlds--must be governed by a principle of optimality. This book explores Leibniz''s pursuit of optimality in five of his most important works in natural philosophy and shows how his principle of optimality bridges his scientific and philosophical studies. The first chapter explores Leibniz''s work on the laws of optics and its implications for his defense of natural teleology. The second chapter examines Leibniz''s work on the breaking strength of rigid beams and its implications for his thinking about the metaphysical foundations of the material world. The third chapter revisits Leibniz''s famous defense of the conservation of vis viva and proposes a novel account of the origin of Leibniz''s mature natural philosophy. The fourth chapter takes up Leibniz''s efforts to determine the shape of freely hanging chains--the so-called problem of the catenary--and shoTrade ReviewAn illuminating contribution to the histories of philosophy and science. * M. Latzer, CHOICE *This book is an impressive and original contribution to the history of philosophy and to the history of science. When scholars discuss Leibniz's physics, it is almost exclusively his theories of motion and space and his dynamics. But McDonough is calling attention to altogether different corners of Leibniz's scientific interests, his optics, his treatment of rigid beams, his studies of hanging chains and falling bodies, all unified by his use of teleological principles. This is a book like no other in the Leibniz literature: it deserves to be widely read and studied * Daniel Garber, Princeton University *Leibniz' ideas are increasingly useful in modern fields of science as diverse as cosmology and biology. For a grand tour of Leibniz' physics and philosophy—and especially of the subtleties of teleology—there is no finer guide than Jeff McDonough. A Miracle Creed is insightful, even-handed, and crystal-clear. It is essential reading for anyone who cares about how we come to understand and explain our world. * Dr. Roy R. Gould, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics *This rich and penetrating study breaks new ground in our understanding of Leibniz's philosophy. McDonough demonstrates how the principle of optimality is a 'miracle creed' that drives Leibniz's investigations in optics, mechanics and statics, while closely integrating them with foundational doctrines of his metaphysics. Moving deftly between Leibniz's solutions to technical problems in physics and current interpretative debates, McDonough makes an original case for the systematicity and continued relevance of his thought. The book is a must read for anyone with interests in Leibniz's philosophy and the development of physical theory in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries * Donald Rutherford, University of California, San Diego *The book not only provides an in-depth survey of important topics in Leibniz's philosophy and physics, it also succeeds in arguing that we should take optimality principles in physics more seriously. * Ansgar Lyssy, The Metascience *Table of ContentsIntroduction Chapter 1. Optics and Immanent Lawful Teleology Chapter 2. Rigid Beams and the Foundations of Physics Chapter 3. Vis viva and the Origins of Leibniz's Natural Philosophy Chapter 4. Hanging Chains and Monadic Agency Chapter 5. Falling Bodies and the Rise of Variational Mechanics Epilogue

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Book SynopsisIn Explaining Cancer, Anya Plutynski addresses a variety of philosophical questions that arise in the context of cancer science and medicine. She begins with the following concerns: How do scientists classify cancer? Do these classifications reflect nature''s joints? How do cancer scientists identify and classify early stage cancers? What does it mean to say that cancer is a genetic disease? What role do genes play in mechanisms for cancer? What are the most important environmental causes of cancer, and how do epidemiologists investigate these causes? How exactly has our evolutionary history made us vulnerable to cancer? Explaining Cancer uses these questions as an entrée into a family of philosophical debates. It uses case studies of scientific practice to reframe philosophical debates about natural classification in science and medicine, the problem of drawing the line between disease and health, mechanistic reasoning in science, pragmatics and evidence, the roles of models and modeling in science, and the nature of scientific explanation.Trade ReviewA superb contribution to the burgeoning literature in philosophy of medicine. * Daniel Hausman, author of Valuing Health: Well-Being, Freedom, and Suffering *Cancer biology is a fascinatingly complex field, and Plutynski communicates this complexity well, illustrating in detail many themes of contemporary philosophy of biology….Overall, I found this a fascinating and helpful book, richly detailed and accessible. * Miriam Solomon, author of Making Medical Knowledge *Sets the stage for future discussions of the distinctive philosophical implications of cancer research. * Sara Green, editor of Philosophy of Systems Biology: Perspectives from Scientists and Philosophers *a fascinating story of cancer research ... Anya Plutynski shows how looking at cancer from the philosophical angle can help shape our perception of what cancer is and how cancer biology and epidemiology work ... think the vast majority of readers will find the narrative gripping and will enjoy reading it. Indeed, if philosophy of medicine is a branch of philosophy, the philosophy of oncology is now a new twig that I will enjoy watching grow. * Olaf Dammann, Metascience *...for those who care about philosophy of science, the book illustrates how cancer can be a rich case study. In addition, the systematic investigation of traditional philosophical debates applied to cancer that Plutynski pursues in this book makes it a great resource for teaching. For those who care about cancer, the book illustrates the need to develop more 'bottom up' philosophical approaches. * Lucie Laplane, History and Philosophy of the Life Sciences *Table of ContentsIntroduction Chapter 1: Cancer: Natural, Social and Medical Kind Chapter 2: From Disease to Risk Chapter 3: Causation, Causal Selection and Causal Parity Chapter 4: Evidence and Environmental Epidemiology: A Pragmatic Approach Chapter 5: Explaining Cancer from an Evolutionary Perspective Chapter 6: Explanation Conclusion Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisA critical edition and facing-page translation, accompanied by substantial analytical introduction and notes, of Perspectiva by Roger Bacon, a foundational text of modern optics written in about 1260, which defined the subject for the next 350 years.Trade ReviewThe bibliographic details will convince any well-educated historian that this book should be available in all good libraries. So indeed it should. The advent of microfilm has helped the editor to make full use of many more manuscripts than his predecessors, with consequent benefit to the authority of the resulting text ... for anyone frivolous or serious enough to plunge straight into the main text, it is very good indeed, with scholarly notes providing hand-holds and water wings. * J. V. Field, Medical History, Oct. 1997 *

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Book SynopsisAn up-to-date and accessible selection of some of the most important writings on the philosophy of time, including work by David Lewis, Michael Dummett, and Anthony Quinton.Trade ReviewNow the definitive collection. * E.J. Lowe, Durham University *Table of ContentsINTRODUCTION ; PART 1: TIME AND TENSE ; PART 2: RELATIONISM ABOUT TIME ; PART 3: THE DIRECTION OF TIME ; PART 4: THE TOPOLOGY OF TIME

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Book SynopsisWhen engaged in mathematics, most people tend to think of themselves as scientists investigating the features of real mathematical things, and the wildly successful application of mathematics in the physical sciences reinforces this picture of mathematics as an objective study. For philosophers, however, this realism about mathematics raises serious questions: What are mathematical things? Where are they? How do we know about them? Penelope Maddy delineates and defends a novel version of mathematical realism that answers the traditional questions and refocuses philosophical attention on the pressing foundational issues of contemporary mathematics.Trade ReviewShe has ... clearly marked out an original and interesting position. * Times Higher Education Supplement *the book is written in a lively, engaging style. We hope that it serves to stimulate others to think seriously about issues in philosophy of mathematics because, as Maddy claims, these issues bear directly on mainstream philosophy. * Philosophy of Science *Table of ContentsRealism: Pre-theoretic realism; Realism in philosophy; Realism and truth; Realism in mathematics; Perception and intuition: What is the question?; Perception; Intuition; Godelian Platonism; Numbers: What numbers could not be; Numbers as properties; Frege numbers; Axioms: Reals and sets of reals; Axiomization; Open problems; Competing theories; The challenge; Monism and beyond: Monism; Field's nominalism; Structuralism; Summary; References; Index.

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Book SynopsisIn this sequence of philosophical essays about natural science, Nancy Cartwright argues that fundamental explanatory laws, the deepest and most admired successes of modern physics, do not in fact describe the regularities that exist in nature. Yet she is not `anti-realist''. Rather, she draws a novel distinction, arguing that theoretical entities, and the complex and localized laws that describe them, can be interpreted realistically, but that the simple unifying laws of basic theory cannot.Trade ReviewThe issues raised are very important and highly controversial ... I believe the book to be of importance in inviting philosophers to take a new look at the way physics is actually done, and what their reaction to that practice might be. * M. L. G. Redhead, Philosophical Quarterly *a significant addition to the literature * W. H. Newton-Smith, Times Literary Supplement *

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Book SynopsisThis book presents the life and personality, the scientific and philosophical work of Ludwig Boltzmann, one of the great scientists who marked the passage from 19th- to 20th-Century physics. His rich and tragic life, ending by suicide at the age of 62, is described in detail. A substantial part of the book is devoted to discussing his scientific and philosophical ideas and placing them in the context of the second half of the 19th century. The fact that Boltzmann was the man who did most to establish that there is a microscopic, atomic structure underlying macroscopic bodies is documented, as is Boltzmann''s influence on modern physics, especially through the work of Planck on light quanta and of Einstein on Brownian motion.Boltzmann was the centre of a scientific upheaval, and he has been proved right on many crucial issues. He anticipated Kuhn''s theory of scientific revolutions and proposed a theory of knowledge based on Darwin. His basic results, when properly understood, can also Trade ReviewIt is valuable, not only for the wealth and scope of information it provides, but for offering an up-to-date view, accessible to all, of Boltzmann's scientific ideas. * Studies in History and Philosophy of Modern Physics *Carlo Cercignani has made an important contribution to our understanding of the man and his work in the context of his times... Much of the book will be interesting for the general reader. * George Fleck, The Chemical Intelligencer *I can warmly recommend the book to everybody who is interested in the history of science. * Dieter Flamm, Physics World *Table of ContentsForeword ; Preface ; Introduction ; 1. A short biography of Ludwig Boltzmann ; 2. Physics before Boltzmann ; 3. Kinetic theory before Boltzmann ; 4. The Boltzmann equation ; 5. Time irreversibility and the H-theorem ; 6. Boltzmann's relation and the statistical interpretation of entropy ; 7. Boltzmann, Gibbs and equilibrium statistical mechanics ; 8. The problem of polyatomic molecules ; 9. Boltzmann's contributions to other branches of physics ; 10. Boltzmann as a philosopher ; 11. Boltzmann and his contemporaries ; 12. The influence of Boltzmann's ideas on the science and technology of the twentieth century ; Epilogue ; Chronologys ; "A German professor's journey to Eldorado" ; Appendices

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Book SynopsisOver the past fifteen years, a new dimension to the analysis of science has emerged. Feminist theory, combined with the insights of recent developments in the history, philosophy, and sociology of science, has raised a number of new and important questions about the content, practice, and traditional goals of science. Feminists have pointed to a bias in the choice and definition of problems with which scientists have concerned themselves, and in the actual design and interpretation of experiments, and have argued that modern science evolved out of a conceptual structuring of the world that incorporated particular and historically specific ideologies of gender. The seventeen outstanding articles in this volume reflect the diversity and strengths of feminist contributions to current thinking about science.Trade ReviewAn excellant volume of essays that summarizes the state of the art in the feminist perspective on the philosophy of science. ... No one concerned with a deep understanding of science can afford to ignore this perspective and this book is the ideal overview. Network No 66, April 1998The book will certainly enhance undergraduate reading lists. * Women's Philosophy Review *This valuable collection leads the reader through the development of feminist thinking in the sciences. The well chosen pieces are republished here in carefully abridged form, and the collection should make an excellent teaching resource ... an engaging read as a single book, though its structure obviously renders it a useful trove for individual papers a number of which were formerly difficult to get hold of. All the papers in this very good collection show how a feminist perspective can reveal political aspects of inquiry, thereby serving the twin goals of objectivity and understanding in both science and philosophy. I hope that this volume finds its place on standard reading lists so that students and professionals alike may benefit. * Miranda Fricker, University of London, Brit. Jnl. for the Phil. of Sci. *

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Book SynopsisPhilosophical naturalism, according to which philosophy is continuous with the natural sciences, has dominated the Western academy for well over a century; but Michael Rea claims that it is without rational foundation, and that the costs of embracing it are surprisingly high. The first part of World Without Design aims to provide a fair and historically informed characterization of naturalism. Rea then argues compellingly to the surprising conclusion that naturalists are committed to rejecting realism about material objects, materialism, and perhaps realism about other minds. This conclusion is striking, largely because naturalism is often simply identified with materialism, and the remaining two theses are ones that naturalists very typically want to endorse. Rea goes on to examine two alternative research programs: intuitionism and supernaturalism, and argues for the conclusion that intuitionism, under certain circumstances, is self-defeating.World Without Design offers a provocativeTrade ReviewReview from previous edition succinct and penetrating ... Thoroughly researched and richly argued, World Without Design will prove valuable to anyone interested in the naturalistic tradition * Troy Cross, Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews *Table of Contents1 NATURALISM ; 2 ONTOLOGY ; 3 ALTERNATIVES

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Book SynopsisStephen Mumford puts forward a new theory of dispositions, showing how central their role in metaphysics and philosophy of science is. Much of our understanding of the physical and psychological world is expressed in terms of dispositional properties - from the spin of a subatomic particle and the solubility of sugar to a person''s belief that zebras have stripes. Mumford discusses what it means to say that something has a property of this kind, and how dispositions can possibly be real things in the world. They have seemed to many to reside on the fringes of actuality, waiting to manifest themselves; Mumford''s clear, straightforward, realist account reveals them to be far less enigmatic, and shows that an understanding of dispositions is essential to an understanding of properties, causation, and scientific laws.Trade ReviewReview from previous edition Stephen Mumford's book Dispositions does much more than just expound his contribution to the wider debate on dispositions. Here is all you will need to know about that debate as it stands ... clearly and intelligently explained. * Alexander Bird, British Journal for the Philosophy of Science *Mumford's Dispositions is packed full of argument and analyses of all the issues concerning dispositions and the major contributions in the existing literature. This will certainly top the list of such contributions for some time to come. It is the book I would recommend to anyone wanting to get up-to-speed on this important topic. Its style is clear and pleasing. And Mumford's own views are an important contribution to the area. * Alexander Bird, British Journal for the Philosophy of Science *Mumford's book is the most detailed and seriously worked out study of dispositions yet * Wolfgang Malzkorn, Erkenntnis *Mumford's theory is an interesting account of dispositions which comes very close to the true nature of those amazing and important properties * Wolfgang Malzkorn, Erkenntnis *'Dispositions' reads pretty easily in part because it is free of the technical notation that is so tempting to introduce and in part because it is extremely well written and produced. Mumford also reveals his deep understanding of the philosophical problem of dispositions in that the book stays focused on the most imperative matters, never straying to pet issues more amenable to advancement. * The Philosophical Review, vol.110, no.1 *Stephen Mumford confronts the toughest and most important metaphysical issues about dispositions. * The Philosophical Review, vol.110, no.1 *Table of Contents1. Threats and Promises ; 2. Dispositions in Mind and Matter ; 3. The Conditional Analysis ; 4. The Dispositional-Categorical Distinction ; 5. Property Dualism ; 6. Dispositions as Causes ; 7. Property Monism ; 8. Eliminativism and Reductionism ; 9. A Functionalist Theory of Dispositions ; 10. Laws of Nature Outlawed ; Bibliography ; Index

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Book SynopsisEvery Thing Must Go argues that the only kind of metaphysics that can contribute to objective knowledge is one based specifically on contemporary science as it really is, and not on philosophers'' a priori intuitions, common sense, or simplifications of science. In addition to showing how recent metaphysics has drifted away from connection with all other serious scholarly inquiry as a result of not heeding this restriction, they demonstrate how to build a metaphysics compatible with current fundamental physics (''ontic structural realism''), which, when combined with their metaphysics of the special sciences (''rainforest realism''), can be used to unify physics with the other sciences without reducing these sciences to physics itself. Taking science metaphysically seriously, Ladyman and Ross argue, means that metaphysicians must abandon the picture of the world as composed of self-subsistent individual objects, and the paradigm of causation as the collision of such objects.Everything Trade ReviewThis material is dense, challenging and creative...a provovative book...the authors are to be commended for taking on the challenge to develop a systematic, scientifically informed metaphysics for the twenty-first century. * Paul W. Humphreys Metascience *This challenging and provocative book contends that contemporary fundamental physics carries radically counterintuitive consequences for metaphysics * Jarrett Leplin, Philosophical Papers *an enticing work * Jeremy Butterfield, Times Literary Supplement *Table of ContentsPreface ; 1. In Defence of Scientism ; 2. Scientific Realism, Constructive Empiricism and Structuralism ; 3. Ontic Structural Realism and the Philosophy of Physics ; 4. Rainforest Realism and the Unity of Science ; 5. Causation in a Structural World ; 6. Conclusion - Philosophy Enough ; Bibliography

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Book SynopsisSpace, Time, Matter, and Form collects ten of David Bostock''s essays on themes from Aristotle''s Physics, four of them published here for the first time. The first five papers look at issues raised in the first two books of the Physics, centred on notions of matter and form, and the idea of substance as what persists through change. They also range over other of Aristotle''s scientific works, such as his biology and psychology and the account of change in his De Generatione et Corruptione. The volume''s remaining essays examine themes in later books of the Physics, including infinity, place, time, and continuity. Bostock argues that Aristotle''s views on these topics are of real interest in their own right, independent of his notions of substance, form, and matter; they also raise some pressing problems of interpretation, which these essays seek to resolve.Trade ReviewThis is a very useful publication. There is clearly a unity of vision which underlies these different studies, and it is good to have them collected in a book. Both the choice of topics and the high quality of discussion make it indispensible reading for all serious students of Aristotle. * Inna Kupreeva, Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews *This timely collection of essays by David Bostock, written over a twenty year period, will help to reorient the reader of this classic of the history of philosophy and science...I found every essay in this volume deepened my appreciation of Aristotle's natural philosophy and challenged me to reconsider its foundations. * James Lennox, Mind *Table of Contents1. Aristotle on the principles of change in Physics I ; 2. Transmutation of the Elements in De Generatione et Corruptione 1.1-4 ; 3. Aristotle's Theory of Matter ; 4. Aristotle on Teleology in Nature ; 5. Aristotle's Theory of Form ; 6. Aristotle on the Eleatics in Physics I, 2-3 ; 7. Aristotle, Zeno, and the Potential Infinite ; 8. Note on Aristotle's Account of Place ; 9. Aristotle's Account of Time ; 10. Aristotle on Continuity in Physics VI

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Book SynopsisWhy did science emerge in the West and how did scientific values come to be regarded as the yardstick for all other forms of knowledge? Stephen Gaukroger shows just how bitterly the cognitive and cultural standing of science was contested in its early development. Rejecting the traditional picture of secularization, he argues that science in the seventeenth century emerged not in opposition to religion but rather was in many respects driven by it. Moreover, science did not present a unified picture of nature but was an unstable field of different, often locally successful but just as often incompatible, programmes. To complicate matters, much depended on attempts to reshape the persona of the natural philosopher, and distinctive new notions of objectivity and impartiality were imported into natural philosophy, changing its character radically by redefining the qualities of its practitioners.The West''s sense of itself, its relation to its past, and its sense of its future, have been prTrade ReviewGaukroger's book is a historical reconstruction that brackets historical context (social, practical, political etc.) and offers a plethora of studies on intellectual history on a variety of subjects that deserve attention in any investigation of the emergence of the scientific culture of the West. * Wolfgang Lefèvre ISIS d *The thesis of his substanial and impreesive book is that Christianity indeed played a major, not, as often proposed, through the dissociation of science from religious concerns, but through a reconstituted partnership between Christianity and (a reconstructed) natural philosophy...I am not aware of any other treatment of these themes that combines so magisterially a discerning account of changing boundaries between disciplines with a dispassionate analysis of the changing relations between theology and the sciences. The result is a scholarly exploration on a grand scale. * John Hedley Brooke British Journal for the History of Science *Gaukroger's book is a historical context (social, practical, political, etc.) and offers a plethora of studies in intellectual history on a variety of subjects that deserve attention in any investigation of the emergence of the scientidic culture of the West. * Wolfgang Lefèvre ISIS *This impressive and wide-ranging book is the first of a quintet devoted to the question: how in the (Western) world did all cognitive values come to be associated with scientific ones?... Gaukroger's grand beginning of an even grander five-volume narrative is an exceptional book. Its structure of scientific authority, as it were, is certain to stimulate long and lively discussions among academics of every stripe. * Michael H. Shank, Renaissance Quarterly *[A] substantial and impressive book...I am not aware of any other treatment of these themes that combines so magisterially a discerning account of changing boundaries between disciplines with a dispassionate analysis of the changing relations between theology and the sciences. The result is a scholarly exploration on the grand scale. * John Hedley Brooke, British Journal for the History of Science *especially useful to philosophers looking for the historical context of particular arguments. Few historians have the ambition to attempt a synoptic treatment of the entire history of Western science at anything more than an introductory level. Certainly, no one has undertaken such a project in recent years, when so much has been added to the secondary literature. Gaukroger's book is a comprehensive, narrative overview of the state of the art...[this book] and its companion volumes will fill an empty niche on scholars' bookshelves. * David Marshall Miller, Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews *A careful reading of this outstanding treatise by Gaukroger brings to life not only 500 crucial years that yielded the emergence of science in the west, but also the religious ferment and motivations that forwarded the new scientific culture. * T. Eastman, Choice *Gaukroger provides an insightful analysis...[and] the book's...content also reminds us of its author's accomplishments as a historian of philosophy. * Peter Dear, Nature, Vol. 446 *a project of breathtaking ambition... an impressive performance...and synthesizes a lot of difficult material into a coherent body. * Times Literary Supplement *Table of ContentsPART I ; PART II ; PART III ; PART IV ; PART V

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Book SynopsisWhat are individuals? How can they be identified? These are crucial questions for philosophers and scientists alike. Criteria of individuality seem to differ markedly between metaphysics and the empirical sciences - and this might well explain why no work has hitherto attempted to relate the contributions of metaphysics, physics and biology on this question. This timely volume brings together various strands of research into ''individuality'', examining how different sciences handle the issue, and reflecting on how this scientific work relates to metaphysical concerns. The collection makes a major contribution to clarifying and overcoming obstacles to the construction of a general conception of the individual adequate for both physics and biology, and perhaps even beyond.Trade ReviewWithout a doubt, the individual contributions advance particular individuality debates in valuable ways. There is work that extends several influential approaches to individuality in biology. * Karen Kovaka, Studies in History and Philosophy of the Biological and Biomedical Sciences *Table of ContentsContents ; Chapter 1: Introduction: Progressive steps towards a unified conception of individuality ; across the sciences ; Alexandre Guay & Thomas Pradeu ; Part 1: Metaphysical and logical foundations to individuality ; Chapter 2: Why individuality matters ; Stephane Chauvier ; A foreword to Jonathan Lowe's chapter ; Alexander Bird ; Chapter 3: Non-Individuals ; Jonathan Lowe ; Chapter 4: Individuality, quantum physics, and a metaphysics of non-individuals: the ; role of the formal ; Krause and Arenhart ; Part 2: Puzzles about individuals in biology and physics ; Chapter 5: Individuality and Life Cycles ; Peter Godfrey-Smith ; Chapter 6: What Biofilms Can Teach Us About Individuality ; Marc Ereshefsky and Makmiller Pedroso ; Chapter 7: Cell and Body: Individuals in Stem Cell Biology ; Melinda Fagan ; Chapter 8: Collective individuals: parallels between joint action and biological ; individuality ; Cedric Paternotte ; Chapter 9: On the Emergence of Individuals in Physics ; Simon Saunders ; Chapter 10: Are there individuals in physics and if so what are they? ; James Ladyman ; Chapter 11: Minimal Structural Essentialism: Why Physics Doesn't Care Which is ; Which ; David Glick ; Chapter 12: Bohm's approach and individuality ; Paavo Pylkkanen, Basil J. Hiley, and Ilkka Pattiniemi ; Chapter 13: Branch-Relative Identity ; Christina Conroy ; Part 3: Beyond disciplinary borders ; Chapter 14: The Metaphysics of Individuality and the Sciences ; Matteo Morganti ; Chapter 15: The Biological and the Mereological: Metaphysical Implications of the ; Individuality Thesis ; Matt Haber ; Chapter 16: To Be Continued: The Genidentity of Physical and Biological Processes ; Alexandre Guay and Thomas Pradeu ; Chapter 17: Experimental Realization of Individuality ; Ruey-Lin Chen ; Chapter 18: Eliminating Objects Across the Sciences ; Steven French

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Book SynopsisIn this book the author challenges the position of statistical analysis as the main quantitative tool used in social sciences. Why Social Sciences Are Not Scientific Enough will be of interest to social science students, researchers, and methodologists.Table of ContentsPART I. THE LIMITATIONS OF DESCRIPTIVE METHODOLOGY; PART II. QUANTITATIVELY PREDICTIVE LOGICAL MODELS; PART III. SYNTHESIS OF PREDICTIVE AND DESCRIPTIVE APPROACHES

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Book SynopsisTraditionally, philosophers of quantum mechanics have addressed exceedingly simple systems: a pair of electrons in an entangled state, or an atom and a cat in Dr. Schrodinger''s diabolical device. But recently, much more complicated systems, such as quantum fields and the infinite systems at the thermodynamic limit of quantum statistical mechanics, have attracted, and repaid, philosophical attention. Interpreting Quantum Theories has three entangled aims. The first is to guide those familiar with the philosophy of ordinary QM into the philosophy of ''QM infinity'', by presenting accessible introductions to relevant technical notions and the foundational questions they frame. The second aim is to develop and defend answers to some of those questions. Does quantum field theory demand or deserve a particle ontology? How (if at all) are different states of broken symmetry different? And what is the proper role of idealizations in working physics? The third aim is to highlight ties between Trade ReviewEach of these chapters by itself makes an important contribution to philosophy of physics; but amazingly, Ruetsche ties them each to the overarching argument against pristine interpretations and for a modification of traditional scientific realism. ... It is a book that repays close study and which should be discussed extensively by philosophers in the years to come. * Hans Halvorson, Metascience *All in all, the book is a remarkable achievement: at one and the same time a cohesive account of a major body of work by the author and others, an accessible and philosophically sensitive introduction to the field, a powerful defence of a largely novel position in philosophy of science through careful attention to scientific details, and an impressive advertisement for the value of that strategy in philosophy of science that places a high premium on mathematical rigour, without losing focus on the philosophical issues at hand. It is not the only strategy available but, in Reutsches hands at least, it is remarkably effective. * David Wallace, The British Journal for the Philosophy of Science *Ruetsche's book is set apart from many of the recent books of the philosophy of physics, not only in its engagement with the quantum theory of infinite systems (including quantum field theory), but also in its explicit engagement with questions from general philosophy of science ... It is a book that repays close study and which should be discussed extensively by philosophers in the years to come. * Hans Halvorson, Metascience *Table of ContentsContents ; Preface ; Abbreviations and Symbols ; 1. Exegesis Saves: Interpreting Physical Theories ; 2. Quantizing ; 3. Beyond the Stone-von Neumann Theorem ; 4. Representation Without Taxation ; 5. Axioms for Quantum Theories ; 6. Interpreting Quantum Theories: Some Options ; 7. Extraordinary QM ; 8. Interpreting Extraordinary QM ; 9. Is Particle Physics Particle Physics? ; 10. Particles and the Void ; 11. Phenomenological Particle Notions ; 12. A Matter of Degree: Making Sense of Phase Structure ; 13. Interlude: Symmetry Breaking in QSM ; 14. Broken Symmetry and Physicists' QFT ; 15. Morals? ; References

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Book SynopsisDiversity and complexity are the hallmarks of living forms. Yet science aims for general causal explanations of its observations - so how can this be achieved in the non-physical sciences? This new book considers whether there can be a general theory in biology and the social sciences, that is in any way equivalent to those seen in physics.Table of ContentsPreface ; 1. The Rutherford dictum and its meaning for biology ; 2. Plus Cca change ; 3. The Expansion of Selection Theory ; 4. Evolutionary Epistemology ; 5. Selection and Cultural Change ; 6. Further applications of selection theory to aspects of human culture ; 7. Levels of Selection ; References

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Book SynopsisDoes natural selection act primarily on individual organisms, on groups, on genes, or on whole species? Samir Okasha provides a comprehensive analysis of the debate in evolutionary biology over the levels of selection, focusing on conceptual, philosophical and foundational questions. A systematic framework is developed for thinking about natural selection acting at multiple levels of the biological hierarchy; the framework is then used to help resolve outstanding issues. Considerable attention is paid to the concept of causality as it relates to the levels of selection, in particular the idea that natural selection at one hierarchical level can have effects that ''filter'' up or down to other levels. Unlike previous work in this area by philosophers of science, full account is taken of the recent biological literature on ''major evolutionary transitions'' and the recent resurgence of interest in multi-level selection theory among biologists. Other biological topics discussed include PrTrade ReviewA clearly written, unique and useful book * Elizabeth Lloyd, Trends in Ecology and Evolution *A major conceptual contribution to evolutionary theory... Okasha's book makes the sort of contribution that will not be able to be ignored by anyone interested in this field for many years to come. * Massimo Pigliucci, Biology and Philosophy *Evolution and the Levels of Selection is a major contribution toward putting this controversial area on a coherent conceptual and philosophical footing... Okasha has greatly clarified many of the central issues. I can't imagine anyone working on multilevel selection - or attempting to dismiss it - without reading this book. * David Jablonski, Science *Sam Okasha's wonderful new book... is a philosophical examination of the conceptual framework that multi-level selection theory deploys... It is gratifying that his book engages the details of mathematical models and at the same time connects those details with broader philosophical questions. * Elliott Sober, Bioscience *...an extremely thought-provoking and important book about a dificult and highly technical topic...This is not a book to pull a chapter out of, but instead demands a careful reading of the whole text. Those who do will be rightly rewarded. * Matt Haber MIND *Table of ContentsIntroduction ; 1. Natural Selection in the Abstract ; 2. Selection at Multiple Levels: Concepts and Methods ; 3. Causality and Multi-level Selection ; 4. Philosophical Issues in the Levels of Selection Debate ; 5. The Gene's Eye View and its Discontents ; 6. The Group Selection Controversy ; 7. Species Selection, Clade Selection and Macroevolution ; 8. Levels of Selection and the Major Evolutionary Transitions

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Book SynopsisIn recent decades, the analysis of causal relations has become a topic of central importance in analytic philosophy. More recently, dispositional properties have also become objects of intense study. Both of these phenomena appear to be intimately related to counterfactual conditionals and other modal phenomena such as objective chance, but little work has been done to directly relate them. Dispositions and Causes contains ten essays by scholars working in both metaphysics and in philosophy of science, examining the relation between dispositional and causal concepts.Particular issues discussed include the possibility of reducing dispositions to causes, and vice versa; the possibility of a nominalist theory of causal powers; the attempt to reduce all metaphysical necessity to dispositional properties; the relationship between dispositions, causes, and laws of nature; the role of causal capacities in explaining the success of scientific inquiry; the grounding of dispositions and causes iTrade Reviewten authors tackle an impressively wide range of topics. * D. H. Mellor, International Studies in the Philosophy of Science *Table of Contents1. The metaphysics of dispositions and causes ; 2. Dispositions, causes, and reduction ; 3. Causal structuralism, dispositional actualism, and counterfactual conditionals ; 4. Leaving things to take their chances: Cause and disposition grounded in chance ; 5. Causal laws, policy predictions, and the need for genuine powers ; 6. How is scientific analysis possible? ; 7. Agent-causal power ; 8. Structural properties revisited ; 9. Causal nominalism ; 10. Why do the laws explain why? ; References

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Book SynopsisDaniel Garber presents an illuminating study of Leibniz''s conception of the physical world. Leibniz''s commentators usually begin with monads, mind-like simple substances, the ultimate building-blocks of the Monadology. But Leibniz''s apparently idealist metaphysics is very puzzling: how can any sensible person think that the world is made up of tiny minds? In this book, Garber tries to make Leibniz''s thought intelligible by focusing instead on his notion of body. Beginning with Leibniz''s earliest writings, he shows how Leibniz starts as a Hobbesian with a robust sense of the physical world, and how, step by step, he advances to the monadological metaphysics of his later years. Much of the book''s focus is on Leibniz''s middle years, where the fundamental constituents of the world are corporeal substances, unities of matter and form understood on the model of animals. For Garber monads only enter fairly late in Leibniz''s career, and when they enter, he argues, they do not displace Trade ReviewDaniel Garbers book is an important contribution. * Tamás Demeter, Philosopy in Review QUOTE LOADED 21/01/2013 *Garber has written a remarkable book. * Francoise Monnoyeur, The Philosophical Quarterly, Vol. 60 No. 241 (Oct 2010) *Garber has delivered an unusually rich and subtle reading of Leibniz... his meticulous story of the development of Leibniz's thought about substance and body from his early years up through the middle years, and in particular his insightful description of the ways in which considerations of unity, persistence, and activity led Leibniz to realize that substantial forms have something to contribute to physics, is by far the best account we have of this subject... an immensely valuable contribution to the literature. Its combination of first-rate scholarship and provocative interpretive theses will make it essential reading for specialists working on Leibniz's metaphysics. It would be a shame, however, if it were read only by specialists. For the story it tells is an engaging one. * Stephen Puryear, Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews *impressive and brilliantly argued ... a fascinating journey through Leibniz's view (or views) of the physical world and its metaphysical grounding from his earliest years to the end of his life. There can be no doubt that the resulting study constitues a milestone contribution which will mark the direction of the debate on Leibniz's theories of substance and of the ontological status of bodies for many years to come. * Maria Rosa Antognazza, Nuncius: Journal of the Material and Visual History of Science *With a powerful mix of original scholarship, textual analysis, and contextualization, Daniel Garber closes a case he has been building for nearly thirty years against the myth of Leibniz as "a dogmatic who from his early years to the end of his life lived in an austere and immaterial world of spiritual substances". * Geoffrey Gorham, Isis *Table of ContentsIntroduction ; 1. First Thoughts ; 2. Reforming Mechanism: Unity ; 3. Reforming Mechanism: Body and Force, Matter and Form (I) ; 4. Reforming Mechanism: Body and Force, Matter and Form (II) ; 5. Complete Individual Concepts, Non-Communication and Causal Connection ; 6. Divine Wisdom and Final Causes ; 7. Leibnizian Phenomenalisms ; 8. Enchanting the World: "...after many corrections and forward steps in my thinking" ; 9. Monads, Bodies and Corporeal Substances: The Endgame ; Epilogue ; Bibliography ; Index

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Book SynopsisWhat distinguishes good explanations in neuroscience from bad? Carl F. Craver constructs and defends standards for evaluating neuroscientific explanations that are grounded in a systematic view of what neuroscientific explanations are: descriptions of multilevel mechanisms. In developing this approach, he draws on a wide range of examples in the history of neuroscience (e.g. Hodgkin and Huxley''s model of the action potential and LTP as a putative explanation for different kinds of memory), as well as recent philosophical work on the nature of scientific explanation. Readers in neuroscience, psychology, the philosophy of mind, and the philosophy of science will find much to provoke and stimulate them in this book.Trade ReviewReview from previous edition Given how much attention has been paid to neuroscience, it is little surprising how slow philosophy of science has been in exploring the philosophical issues involved in explaining the brain and using the brain to explain behaviour. Carl Craver's book...represents this new direction, and an excellent addition to a burgeoning field it is...Explaining the Brain is timely, well-written, and meticulously argued...I highly recommend this text to anyone with any interest in how theories in neuroscience are constructed...Craver's book set the bar high. It will be difficult indeed to surpass this work in the near future. * Valerie Gray Hardcastle, Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews *This book should be of interest not just to those of us who care about philosophy of neuroscience, but also to philosophers of biology and philosophers of mind more generally. I expect it to shape debate for a long time to come. * Colin Klein, Mind *Table of ContentsPreface ; 1. Introduction: Starting With Neuroscience ; 2. Explanation and Causal Relevance ; 3. Causal Relevance and Manipulation ; 4. The Norms of Mechanistic Explanation ; 5. A Field-Guide to Levels ; 6. Nonfundamental Explanation ; 7. The Mosaic Unity of Neuroscience

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Book SynopsisEvery Thing Must Go argues that metaphysics must be based on contemporary science as it really is, and not on philosophers' intuitions, common sense, or simplifications. Metaphysicians must abandon the picture of the world as composed of self-subsistent and individual objects, and the paradigm of causation as the collision of such objects.Trade ReviewThis material is dense, challenging and creative...a provovative book...the authors are to be commended for taking on the challenge to develop a systematic, scientifically informed metaphysics for the twenty-first century. * Paul W. Humphreys Metascience *Table of ContentsPreface ; 1. In Defence of Scientism ; 2. Scientific Realism, Constructive Empiricism and Structuralism ; 3. Ontic Structural Realism and the Philosophy of Physics ; 4. Rainforest Realism and the Unity of Science ; 5. Causation in a Structural World ; 6. Conclusion - Philosophy Enough ; Bibliography

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Book SynopsisThis book discusses deep problems about our place in the world with a minimum of technical jargon. It argues that ''absolutist'' ideas dating back to Plato continue to mislead generations of theoretical physicists and theologians. It explains that the multi-layered nature of our present descriptions of the world is unavoidable, not because of anything about the world but because of our own human natures. It tries to rescue mathematics from the singular and exceptional status that it has been assigned, as much by those who understand it as by those who do not. It provides direct quotations from many of the important contributors to its subject, and concludes with a penetrating criticism of many of the recent contributions to the often acrimonious debates about science and religions.Trade ReviewDavies has thought long and hard about the relationship of mathematics to the physical world, which gives him an interesting and even helpful perspective. * Josh Reeves, ESSSAT News 21.3 *Although some of the ideas in the book are complex, the presentation is both lucid and entertaining. It has made me re-evaluate my own beliefs about the nature of mathematics. Davies raises more questions than answers, and I strongly recommend to you this thought-provoking book. * Colva Roney-Dougal, The London Mathematical Society Newsletter *a wide-ranging, thought-provoking meditation * Manjit Kumar, New Scientist *Table of ContentsPreface ; 1. The Scientific Revolution ; 2. The Human Condition ; 3. The Nature of Mathematics ; 4. Sense and Nonsense ; 5. Science and Religion

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Book SynopsisIn 1859 Darwin described a deceptively simple mechanism that he called natural selection, a combination of variation, inheritance, and reproductive success. He argued that this mechanism was the key to explaining the most puzzling features of the natural world, and science and philosophy were changed forever as a result. The exact nature of the Darwinian process has been controversial ever since, however. Godfrey-Smith draws on new developments in biology, philosophy of science, and other fields to give a new analysis and extension of Darwin''s idea. The central concept used is that of a Darwinian population, a collection of things with the capacity to undergo change by natural selection. From this starting point, new analyses of the role of genes in evolution, the application of Darwinian ideas to cultural change, and evolutionary transitions that produce complex organisms and societies are developed. Darwinian Populations and Natural Selection will be essential reading for anyone intTrade ReviewReview from previous edition Peter Godfrey-Smith's Darwinian Populations and Natural Selection is a dense and deep work on the foundations of evolutionary biology... Godfrey-Smith's book fruitfully forces us to think in new ways about evolution and natural selection. * Jay Odenbaugh, Science *Darwinian Populations and Natural Selection will be something to be reckoned with for anybody interested in the conceptual foundations of evolutionary theory and in the applicability of Darwinian ideas beyond the strict confines of biological evolution. * Massimo Pigliucci, Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews *Table of Contents1. Introduction and Overview ; 2. Natural Selection and its Representation ; 3. Variation, Selection, and Origins ; 4. Reproduction and Individuality ; 5. Bottlenecks, Germ Lines, and Queen Bees ; 6. Levels and Transitions ; 7. The Gene's Eye View ; 8. Cultural Evolution ; Appendix. Models

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Book SynopsisBrian Skyrms presents eighteen essays which apply adaptive dynamics (of cultural evolution and individual learning) to social theory. Altruism, spite, fairness, trust, division of labor, and signaling are treated from this perspective. Correlation is seen to be of fundamental importance. Interactions with neighbors in space, on static networks, and on co-evolving dynamics networks are investigated. Spontaneous emergence of social structure and of signaling systems are examined in the context of learning dynamics.Trade ReviewIt is rewarding and exemplifies a good way of doing formal philosophy. It sheds light on what evolutionary approaches, especially simulations, can and cannot do for philosophy. But mostly, it highlights the fact that our understanding of social phenomena cannot be complete if we neglect a dynamical point of view ... We may not need only books like this in philosophy; but we need some, and we certainly need more of them. And if the recent literature is any indication, we will have them -- in no small part due to Skyrms' remarkable, pioneering work * Cédric Paternotte, Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews *Table of ContentsIntroduction ; PART I: CORRELATION AND THE SOCIAL CONTRACT ; Introduction to part I ; 1. Evolution and the Social Contract ; PART II: IMPORTANCE OF DYNAMICS ; Introduction to part II ; 2. Trust, Risk, and the Social Contract ; 3. Bargaining with Neighbors: Is Justice Contagious? ; 4. Stability and Explanatory Significance of Some Simple Evolutionary Models ; 5. Dynamics of Conformist Bias ; 6. Chaos and the Explanatory Significance of Equilibrium: Strange Attractors in Evolutionary Game Dynamics ; 7. Evolutionary Dynamics of Collective Action in N-person Stag Hunt Dilemmas ; 8. Learning to Take Turns ; 9. Evolutionary Considerations in the Framing of Social Norms ; PART III: DYNAMIC NETWORKS ; Introduction to part III ; 10. Learning to Network ; 11. A Dynamic Model of Social Network Formation ; 12. Network Formation by Reinforcement Learning: The Long and the Medium Run ; 13. Time to Absorption in Discounted Reinforcement Models ; PART IV: DYNAMICS OF SIGNALS ; Introduction to part IV ; 14. Learning to Signal: Analysis of a Micro-Level Reinforcement Model ; 15. Inventing New Signals ; 16. Signals, Evolution and the Explanatory Power of Transient Information ; 17. Co-Evolution of Pre-Play Signaling and Cooperation ; 18. Evolution of Signaling Systems with Multiple Senders and Receivers ; Index

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Book SynopsisWhat does realism about the quantum state imply? What follows when quantum theory is applied without restriction, if need be, to the whole universe? These are the questions which an illustrious team of philosophers and physicists debate in this volume. All the contributors are agreed on realism, and on the need, or the aspiration, for a theory that unites micro- and macroworlds, at least in principle. But the further claim argued by some is that if you allow the Schrödinger equation unrestricted application, supposing the quantum state to be something physically real, then this universe is one of countlessly many others, constantly branching in time, all of which are real. The result is the many worlds theory, also known as the Everett interpretation of quantum mechanics.The contrary claim sees this picture of many worlds as in no sense inherent in quantum mechanics, even when the latter is allowed unrestricted scope and even given that the quantum state itself is something physically Trade ReviewThis book provides arguably the most vivid and comprehensive treatment of both state-of-the art developments within and criticism of the Everett interpretation. * Guido Bacciagaluppi, Metascience *Table of Contents1. WHY MANY WORLDS?; 2. PROBLEMS WITH ONTOLOGY; 3. PROBABILITY IN THE EVERETT INTERPRETATION; 4. CRITICAL REPLIES; 5. ALTERNATIVES TO MANY WORLDS; 6. NOT ONLY MANY WORLDS

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Book SynopsisUnderstanding the emergence of a scientific culture - one in which cognitive values generally are modelled on, or subordinated to, scientific ones - is one of the foremost historical and philosophical problems with which we are now confronted. The significance of the emergence of such scientific values lies above all in their ability to provide the criteria by which we come to appraise cognitive enquiry, and which shape our understanding of what it can achieve. The period between the 1680s and the middle of the eighteenth century is a very distinctive one in this development. It is then that we witness the emergence of the idea that scientific values form a model for all cognitive claims. It is also at this time that science explicitly goes beyond technical expertise and begins to articulate a world-view designed to displace others, whether humanist or Christian. But what occurred took place in a peculiar and overdetermined fashion, and the outcome in the mid-eighteenth century was notTrade ReviewIt is impressively scholarly, interesting, and will no doubt take its place as an important contribution to the field of intellectual history. * Kurt Smith, MIND *makes a welcome contribution to the history of science * James A.T. Lancaster, British Journal for the History of Science *Table of ContentsIntroduction ; PART I ; 1. The Construction of a New World Picture ; 2. The Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy ; PART II ; 3. The Metaphysical Unity of Natural Philosophy ; 4. From Experimental Philosophy to Empiricism ; 5. Explaining the Phenomena ; PART III ; 6. Natural Philosophy and the Republic of Letters ; 7. The Realm of Reason ; PART IV ; 8. The Fortunes of a Unified Model of Natural Philosophy ; 9. Material Activity ; 10. Living and Dead Matter ; PART V ; 11. The Realm of Sensibility ; 12. Historical Understanding and the Human Condition ; Conclusion ; Bibliography of Works Cited ; Index

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Book SynopsisSome philosophers think physical explanations stand on their own: what happens, happens because things have the properties they do. Others think that any such explanation is incomplete: what happens in the physical world must be partly due to the laws of nature. Causation and Laws of Nature in Early Modern Philosophy examines the debate between these views from Descartes to Hume. Ott argues that the competing models of causation in the period grow out of the scholastic notion of power. On this Aristotelian view, the connection between cause and effect is logically necessary. Causes are ''intrinsically directed'' at what they produce. But when the Aristotelian view is faced with the challenge of mechanism, the core notion of a power splits into two distinct models, each of which persists throughout the early modern period. It is only when seen in this light that the key arguments of the period can reveal their true virtues and flaws. To make his case, Ott explores such central topics asTrade ReviewReview from previous edition a fascinating account of the development of theories of causation and laws of nature in the early modern period ... a great piece of scholarship covering an impressive array of figures. * Journal of the History of Philosophy *illuminating, rich and intriguing * Archiv fuer Geschichte der Philosophie *Table of ContentsPART I: THE CARTESIAN PREDICAMENT; PART II: THE DIALECTIC OF OCCASIONALISM; PART III: POWER AND NECESSITY; PART IV: HUME

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Book SynopsisMathematics depends on proofs, and proofs must begin somewhere, from some fundamental assumptions. The axioms of set theory have long played this role, so the question of how they are properly judged is of central importance. Maddy discusses the appropriate methods for such evaluations and the philosophical backdrop that makes them appropriate.Trade Review'an engaging contribution to an important philosophical debate [which] deserves to be read far beyond the ranks of philosophers of mathematics' * Journal of Philosophy *Table of ContentsIntroduction ; 1. The Problem ; 2. Proper Method ; 3. Thin Realism ; 4. Arealism ; 5. Morals ; Bibliography

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Book SynopsisIn Exceeding Our Grasp , Stanford argues that careful attention to the history of scientific investigation invites a challenge to this view that is not well represented in contemporary debates about the nature of the scientific enterprise.Trade ReviewThe argument is extremely clear, detailed, and thorough. It doesn't try to be a textbook, and is aimed squarely at professional philosophers and advanced students in philosophy of science. * Metaphilosophy *Table of Contents1. Realism, Pessimism, and Underdetermination ; 1.1 Scientific Realism: What's at Stake? ; 1.2 Problems for Pessimism and Underdetermination ; 1.3 Recurrent, Transient Underdetermination, and a New Induction over the History of Science ; 2. Chasing Duhem: The Problem of Unconceived Alternatives ; 2.1 Duhem's Worry: Eliminative Inferences and the Problem of Unconceived Alternatives ; 2.2 Confirmation: Holism, Eliminative Induction, and Bayesianism ; 2.3 Pessimism Revisited ; 3. Darwin and Pangenesis: The Search for the Material Basis of Generation and Heredity ; 3.1 Preliminary Worries ; 3.2 Pangenesis: Darwin's "Mad Dream" and "Beloved Child" ; 3.3 Darwin's Failure to Grasp Galton's Common Cause Mechanism for Inheritance ; 4. Galton and the Strip Theory ; 4.1 The Transfusion Experiments: "A Dreadful Disappointment to Them Both" ; 4.2 Galton's Strip Theory and Its Maturational, Invariant Conception of Inheritance ; 4.3 Galton's Understanding of "Correlation" and "Variable Influences" in Development ; 5. August Weismann's Theory of the Germ-Plasm ; 5.1 German Biology at the End of the Nineteenth Century and Weismann's Theory of the Germ-Plasm ; 5.2 Germinal Specificity, the Search for a Mechanism of Cellular Differentiation and the Reservation of the Germ-Plasm ; 5.4 Productive and Expendable Germinal Resources ; 5.5 Conclusion: Lessons from History ; 6. History Revisited: Pyrrhic Victories for Scientific Realism ; 6.1 Realist Responses to the Historical Record ; 6.2 Once More into the Breach: The Pessimistic Induction ; 6.3 Reference without Descriptive Accuracy ; 6.4 Diluting Approximate Truth ; 7. Selective Confirmation and the Historical Record: "Another Such Victory over the Romans"? ; 7.1 Realism, Selective Confirmation, and Retrospective Judgments of Idleness ; 7.2 Theoretical Posits: They Work Hard for the Money ; 7.3 Trust and Betrayal ; 7.4 Structural Realism and Retention ; 7.5 Selective Confirmation: No Refuge for Realism ; 8. Science without Realism? ; References ; Index

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