Philosophy of science Books

Book SynopsisA consideration of whether scientific knowledge is objective and universal or socially mediated, whether scientific truths are independent of human values and beliefs.

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Book SynopsisOriginally published in 1830, this book can be called the first modern work in the philosophy of science, covering an extraordinary range of philosophical, methodological, and scientific subjects. -Herschel's book . . . brilliantly analyzes both the history and nature of science.--Keith Stewart Thomson, American Scientist

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Book SynopsisAmid the unrest, dislocation, and uncertainty of seventeenth-century Europe, readers seeking consolation and assurance turned to philosophical and scientific books that offered ways of conquering fears and training the mindguidance for living a good life. The Good Life in the Scientific Revolution presents a triptych showing how three key early modern scientists, René Descartes, Blaise Pascal, and Gottfried Leibniz, envisioned their new work as useful for cultivating virtue and for pursuing a good life. Their scientific and philosophical innovations stemmed in part from their understanding of mathematics and science as cognitive and spiritual exercises that could create a truer mental and spiritual nobility. In portraying the rich contexts surrounding Descartes' geometry, Pascal's arithmetical triangle, and Leibniz's calculus, Matthew L. Jones argues that this drive for moral therapeutics guided important developments of early modern philosophy and the Scientific Revolution.

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Book SynopsisIn recent decades, there has been a major shift in the way researchers process and understand scientific data. Digital access to data has revolutionized ways of doing science in the biological and biomedical fields, leading to a data-intensive paradigm for research that uses innovative methods to produce, store, distribute, and interpret huge amounts of data. In Data-Centric Biology, Sabina Leonelli probes the implications of these advancements and confronts the questions they pose. Are we witnessing the rise of an entirely new scientific epistemology? If so, how does that alter the way we study and understand life including ourselves? Leonelli is the first scholar to use a study of contemporary data-intensive science to provide a philosophical analysis of the epistemology of data. In analyzing the rise, internal dynamics, and potential impact of data-centric biology, she draws on scholarship across diverse fields of science and the humanities as well as her own original empirical mat

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Book SynopsisA history of population ecology which traces two generations of science and scientists from the opening of the 20th century through to 1970. The text chronicles the careers of key figures and the field's theoretical, empirical and institutional development.

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Book Synopsis"The road since structure", assembled with Kuhn's input before his death in 1996, follows the development of his thought through the later years of his life. Collected here are several essays and an extensive autobiographical interview discussing his life and philosophyTrade Review"The essays fall into three groups, each arranged chronologically. The first shows the development of Kuhn's thought from 1980 through 1990, the second consists of his responses to criticisms of other philosophers, the last is a candid, highly interesting and informative interview Kuhn did a year before his death....His work is central to the question of the relation of science and culture." - Library Journal "It's sometimes claimed that Kuhn toned down his radical views after Structure, but this is a mistake. He did occasionally repudiate earlier ideas, but the bulk of his later work is a significant articulation and defense of his fundamental views, not a retraction.... The Road since Structure ends with a fascinating 68-page interview with Kuhn, recorded a year before his death. This gives a strong sense of his personality and of the development of his ideas and career. It brings out the extent to which the history of science was for him from the start a vehicle for philosophical inquiry." - Peter Lipton, London Review of Books "I wanted it to be an important book; clearly it was being an important book - I didn't like most of the ways in which it was being an important book." - Kuhn on The Structure of Scientific Revolutions from The Road since Structure "Kuhn's masterpiece did not unify science at all. It broke it open, exposing the inner workings of human creativity and starting, along the way, a thousand arguments that not even Kuhn's death will resolve." - Malcolm Gladwell, The New Yorker

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Book SynopsisThis text is a discussion of issues that have been raised by the "Science Wars" (science versus the arts and humanities). The book presents papers for discussion, and then commentaries on those papers, drawing out discussions on central themes, and finally the participants respond to these issues.

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Book SynopsisThis text reconstructs Lakatos's original counter-arguments from lectures and correspondence previously unpublished in English, allowing us to enjoy the fun two of this century's most eminent philosophers had, matching their wits and ideas on the subject of the scientific method.Table of ContentsPreface Acknowledgments Introduction: A Dialogue 1. Lectures on Scientific Method, Imre Lakatos Lecture 1. The Demarcation Problem Lecture 2. The Theological Nature of Scientific Standards Lecture 3. Inductivism and Its Historical Myths Lecture 4. Comparing Demarcation Criteria: Verificationism and Conventionalism Lecture 5. The Limits of Conventionalism Lecture 6. Popper and the Rules of the Game of Science Lecture 7. Falsification and Intellectual Honesty Lecture 8. The Methodology of Scientific Research Programmes Editor's Note: The Value of Novelty 2. Theses on Anarchism, Paul Feyerabend 3. The Lakatos-Feyerabend Correspondence (1968-1974) 4. Appendices Appendix A. On Rearing Scholars, Imre Lakatos Appendix B. Letters to the Director of the Department of Philosophy, Paul Feyerabend Appendix C. The Intellectuals' Betrayal of Reason, Imre Lakatos Appendix D. Letter to His Editors, Imre Lakatos Imre Lakatos: Biography Paul Feyerabend: Biography Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisHow have shifts in power and in assumptions about knowledge affected scientific practice? Who controls the new technologies, and how are moral and professional issues addressed during a time of global change? This work explores such questions of relevance in the current scientific climate.

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Book SynopsisWhat happens when we think? How do people make judgments? While different theories aboundand are heatedly debatedmost are based on an algorithmic model of how the brain works. Howard Margolis builds a fascinating case for a theory that thinking is based on recognizing patterns and that this process is intrinsically a-logical. Margolis gives a Darwinian account of how pattern recognition evolved to reach human cognitive abilities. Illusions of judgmentstandard anomalies where people consistently misjudge or misperceive what is logically implied or really presentare often used in cognitive science to explore the workings of the cognitive process. The explanations given for these anomalous results have generally explained only the anomaly under study and nothing more. Margolis provides a provocative and systematic analysis of these illusions, which explains why such anomalies exist and recur. Offering empirical applications of his theory, Margolis turns to historical cases to show how an

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Book SynopsisArgues that the long-standing scientific and philosophical deference to reductive explanations founded on simple universal laws, linear causal models, and predict-and-act strategies fails to accommodate the kinds of knowledge that many contemporary sciences are providing about the world.Trade Review"A manifesto in favor of a new epistemology of science premised on a careful assessment of the current state of biological research, Unsimple Truths is accessible, well written, and important. Simply superb." - Jason Scott Robert, Arizona State University"

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Book SynopsisThis text is a transcription of a course, including both lectures and student discussions, taught by McKeon. It provides an introduction to McKeon's conception of pluralism, a central aspect of neo-Pragmatism, while demonstrating how pluralism works in a classroom setting.

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Book SynopsisSince the Enlightenment, alchemy has been viewed as a sort of antiscience, disparaged by many historians as a form of lunacy that impeded the development of rational chemistry. This title exposes the speciousness of these views and challenges widely held beliefs about the origins of the Scientific Revolution.Trade Review"Atoms and Alchemy is the newest installment of Newman's scholarship that continues to challenge scholars to rethink some of their most cherished assumptions concerning the actuality of a clearcut demarcation during the early modern period between so-called 'rational' and 'occult' spheres in the discipline we now refer to as chemistry." - Mordechai Feingold, California Institute of Technology"

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Book SynopsisIncorporating a translation of Scienza e Retorica, this text presents Pera's theory of rhetoric and is central to the making of scientific knowledge. A dialectics of science to overcome the tension between normative and descriptive philosophies of science is presented.Table of ContentsPreface Introduction: The Cartesian Syndrome 1: The Paradox of Scientific Method 2: From Method to Rhetoric 3: The Rhetoric of Science 4: Scientific Dialectics 5: The Dialectical Model of Science 6: Epistemology and Rhetorical Strategies 7: Rhetoric and Scientific Progress Notes References Index

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Book SynopsisHailed by the Greeks as the mystery of mysteries, the perplexing question of where babies come from, has puzzled men and women throughout history. This book examines the theory of preformation, which proposed that miniature creatures existed inside potential parents, waiting to be born.

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Book SynopsisHailed by the Greeks as the mystery of mysteries, the perplexing question of where babies come from, has puzzled men and women throughout history. This book examines the theory of preformation, which proposed that miniature creatures existed inside potential parents, waiting to be born.

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"The intriguing title may give you the idea that this is a textbook of marine biology. It is not. It is a historical celebration of what we can learn about biology from studying marine animals and especially of the indispensable role played in that context by marine research stations." * Ocean Challenge *“The essays in this volume would make excellent readings for masters courses in the history, philosophy, and epistemology of biology… The greatest merit of this collection is to frame ‘variety’ as a question, as well as a possible answer, both historically and epistemologically.” * Metascience *"The essays [in this volume] document a rich history of marine laboratories and their research accomplishments and aim at informing readers that marine laboratories, the marine organisms available there, and the scientific interactions afforded by this research environment led to important biological discoveries." * Quarterly Review of Biology *“In dozens of coastal communities across the world, just down the shore from where vacationers enjoy seaside nature, scientists at marine biological stations are investigating fundamental aspects of life. This first-rate collection brings historians and biologists together to present fresh analyses of the institutions, people, ideas, and practices of this seaside enterprise as it has grown up over the past 150 years. Its chapters collectively demonstrate how the combination of lab and field studies at seaside stations, starting at Naples and Woods Hole and then spreading across the globe, have made major contributions to our understanding of life, especially its cellular and subcellular workings. Ultimately, by showing, over and over again, the importance of obscure sea creatures for building basic biological knowledge, this book offers a powerful argument for sustaining the institutions that allow scientists to study them.” -- Lynn K. Nyhart, University of Wisconsin–Madison“Marine biology and marine science in general are increasingly relevant in an age of global climate change. This book is unique in also dealing with these subjects from a historical and philosophical perspective, which provides new insights and approaches to the various epistemic issues that arise regarding the scientific work itself. The authors are all outstanding and well-recognized scholars, and the volume is not only interesting reading but also an important contribution to preserving the marine environment and the institutions (marine biological stations) devoted to studying it.” -- Garland E. Allen, Washington University in St. Louis"A fascinating collection of essays on the historical emergence of marine biological stations, the diversity of work they pursue, and their significant contributions to scientific discovery and knowledge." -- Diana Kenney * Marine Biological Laboratory *Table of ContentsForeword, Nipam H. Patel Introduction, Karl S. Matlin, Jane Maienschein, and Rachel A. Ankeny Part One Marine Places 1 Why Have Biologists Studied at the Seashore? The Woods Hole Marine Biological Laboratory Jane Maienschein 2 Marine Biology Studies at Naples: The Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn Christiane Groeben 3 The First Marine Biological Station in Modern China: Amoy University and Amphioxus Christine Yi Lai Luk 4 The Misaki Marine Biological Station’s Dual Roles for Zoology and Fisheries, 1880s–1930s Kjell David Ericson Part Two Marine Practice 5 Illuminating Animal Behavior: The Impact of Laboratory Structure on Tropism Research at Marine Stations Samantha Muka 6 The Scientific Fishery: Sampling, Dissecting, and Drawing in the Gulf of Naples Katharina Steiner 7 A Dual Mission: Research and Education as Critical Factors for the Scientific Integrity of the Marine Biological Laboratory Kate MacCord 8 Francis O. Schmitt: At the Intersection of Neuroscience and Squid Kathryn Maxson Jones 9 Microscopes and Moving Molecules: The Discovery of Kinesin at the Marine Biological Laboratory Karl S. Matlin 10 Using Repertoires to Explore Changing Practices in Recent Coral Research Rachel A. Ankeny and Sabina Leonelli 11 Why Study Sex by the Sea? Marine Organisms and the Problems of Fertilization and Cell Cleavage Michael R. Dietrich, Nathan Crowe, and Rachel A. Ankeny 12 Hagfish and Vascular Biology: Why the Marine Model Matters Marianne A. Grant and William C. Aird Epilogue: The Future of Biological Research Will Be Found in the Oceans, Alejandro Sánchez Alvarado Acknowledgments List of Contributors Index

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"When Maps Become the World deservedly takes its place alongside some of the great philosophical reflections on the unique alchemy of maps. This immensely rich and deeply learned book is about the power and limitations of maps and ‘map thinking’ as a way of understanding cartography as well as scientific theory and practice. Moving beyond the established critique of maps, Winther provides a dazzling route for new ‘map thinking’ in our bewildering digital age. A superb achievement." -- Jerry Brotton, author of A History of the World in Twelve Maps"A tour de force. Philosophers of science have increasingly resorted to analogies with maps and mapping in thinking about the relation of scientific theories and models to the world(s) they are about. Winther interrogates this usage in multiple ways: a historical overview of map-making in the West, a philosophical examination of the assumptions and commitments of map language, and in-depth studies of mapping practices in sciences from cosmology to neuroscience to genetics. Wonderfully enhanced by reproductions of maps from the many domains in which they are used, this book gives welcome philosophical substance to a widely used and increasingly central concept in studies of science." -- Helen Longino, Stanford University"It's only three-hundred pages but When Maps Become the World is a lot of book with a lot of thought-provoking propositions about life and how to live it. Masquerading as a book about maps and science, it's a manual on how to be in the world, a manual on how to live." * Denis Wood, Making Maps: DIY Cartography *"A sound contribution to the transdisciplinary field of map studies. . . . This book succeeds in bringing new theoretical insights into past cartographic materials and processes, encompassing diverse epochs, practices, and key ideas in map thinking. . . . The inclusive stance of this extremely well-written book is genuine, and the effort to bring together a huge amount of writings about cartography is valuable. From the specific angle of map theory, this book is a particularly welcome contribution that endorses a pluralistic style of thinking within the lively arena of map studies. From the point of view of science, it offers a sophisticated reflection on the generative powers of cartographic theorization." * The Holocene *"Convincingly links cartography and philosophy of science. . . . Winther relies on a careful archaeology of the basic or foundational assumptions lying behind every representation, and on 'counter-mappings': mappings that illustrate a minority or outsider point of view and thus show the contextuality of other maps. He illustrates his approach with examples of mapping in cosmology, brain research, and genetics. In doing so, he impressively shows the limitations the mapping of genes and brain functions have, and in which way 'counter maps' can open up new perspectives. . . . [The] book is an unorthodox and passionate plea for a diversity of perspectives—of structures, orders, and summaries—in cartography, science, and the philosophy of science. And at the same time, a convincing treatment of the tendency to confuse maps with the reality they describe." * Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung *"A valuable contribution to the philosophy of scientific representation. . . . Winther's writing and reasoning is clear and engaging. For the most part, this book is widely accessible to non-expert readers. . . . [An] excellent book." * History and Philosophy of the Life Sciences *"[Winther] blends wide-ranging, multidisciplinary perspectives to demonstrate the power of maps, mapping, and the philosophical 'map thinking' that helps explain complex information and relationships through scientific theories and models. Winther's text evaluates the promises, consequences, and perils of map thinking. . . . Winther's provocative, thoughtful treatise expands familiar concepts of cartography. GIS specialists could benefit from his reflections. . . . Highly recommended." * Choice, 2020 Outstanding Academic Title *"An engaging and informative work. . . . I recommend this book to graduate students taking a history and philosophy of geography class, along with anyone else interested in this field." * Cartographic Perspectives *"[Winther] has engaged fundamentally with mapping and cartography in order to show what significance maps play in all areas of science, how the clarification of spatial relationships helps in the formation of theory and representation of ideas in both the natural sciences and the humanities. . . . He never tires of giving hints to the danger of 'pernicious reification', the always erroneous equalization of a model with reality, regardless of whether it is the Mercator projection, the pictorial flattening of Earth in the atlas, gene-driven evolution or a model of Homo sapiens: The theory is never the Living." * Süddeutsche Zeitung *"Winther writes from a wide-ranging, multidisciplinary perspective to show the power of the map, mapping, and ‘map thinking’ to organize and understand complex information. In very clear prose, citing a rich literature, he explores the possibilities of mapping, as well as its limitations and hazards. Professionals in geographic information systems who read this book will expand their conception of mapping and see their work as integral to the entire human enterprise; they will reflect more deeply on what they are doing, how they do it, and why; and be encouraged to look further into the philosophical underpinnings of mapping and GIS." -- Jack Dangermond, founder and president, Esri"An intriguing and often brilliant book, When Maps Become the World raises profound, even fundamental philosophical questions about ‘map thinking.’ The map is considered here as more than simply a scientific model or abstraction but as a kind of ‘metaperspective’ through which the world has been understood scientifically. This is an important book on how the map can be considered philosophically as a heuristic device that has enabled and constrained the development of scientific rationality." -- Michael Heffernan, University of Nottingham"A valuable contribution to the philosophy of scientific representation." * Springer Nature *"Defining what a map is and how it works is a centuries-old exercise. Winther boldly goes where many have gone before and, after settling on a definition that allows for new directions, he explores how ‘map thinking’ operates to organize scientific knowledge and guide social change. Not only do maps represent the world we live in, but they also suggest multiple ways to remake it and, hopefully, improve it." * Imago Mundi *Table of ContentsPreface 1. Introduction: Why Maps? A History and Philosophy of Map Thinking The Nature of Map Thinking—Elements of Map Thinking—Deep Mapping—Five Hundred Years of Western Mapping Maps Today Cartography Meets GIS—A Definition Based on Representation—Characterizations Based on Process and Function Three Maps Waldseemüller’s Map—Guaman Poma’s Countermap—Van Sant’s Ultimate Map? Conclusion Part 1: Philosophy 2. Theory Is to World as Map Is to Territory Analogy Three Types of Analogy—Critical Cautions The Map Analogy A Typology of Map Analogies—Uses of the Map Analogy in Humanistic Inquiry Assumption Archaeology Conclusion 3. From Abstraction to Ontologizing The Abstraction-Ontologizing Account Abstraction Abstraction Stage I: Calibration of Units and Coordinates—Abstraction Stage II: Data Collection and Management—Abstraction Stage III: Generalization OntologizingOntologizing 0: Representation Testing—Ontologizing I: Changing the World—Ontologizing II: Understanding the World—Ontologizing III: Classroom Communication Conclusion 4. Long Live Contextual Objectivity! Pernicious Reification Contextual Objectivity Conformation—The Essential Indexical A History of the Mercator Projection I: Gerardus Mercator Mercator’s Critique of Earlier Projections—Mercator’s New Purpose: Navigation—Mercator’s Clear Presentation of Latitude and Longitude—Mercator’s Awareness of Alternative Projections A History of the Mercator Projection II: Post Mercator Integration Platforms A Beyond-Mercator Integration Platform: Blocking Pernicious Reification and Seeking Contextual Objectivity—Philosophical Aspects of Integration Platforms Conclusion 5. Projecting Maps into Our Worlds Two Canonical Philosophical Accounts of Representation: Isomorphism and Similarity The Isomorphism Account—The Similarity Account The Multiple Representations Account Ontologizing—Merely-Seeing-As—Pluralistic Ontologizing—Climate Change and Multiple Representations Conclusion Part 2: Science 6. Mapping Space Extreme-Scale Maps in Cosmology The Universe’s Baby Portrait—The Universe Growing Up (and Outward)—Cosmic-Scale Maps and the Abstraction-Ontologizing Account Literal Cartographic Maps in Geology State-Space Maps in Physics and Physical Chemistry Analogous Maps in Mathematics Conclusion 7. Mapping Ourselves Migration Maps Arrowized Assumptions—Arrowized Maps—Countermapping Migration Brain Maps Decompositional Assumptions—Phrenological Maps—The Somatosensory and Motor Homunculi—Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI)—Countermapping the Brain Statistical Causal Maps Linear Model Assumptions—Correlation and Causation—“Genetic” and “Environmental” Diseases—Path Diagrams as Statistical Causal Maps—When Causal Maps Become the World Conclusion 8. Mapping Genetics Building a Mapping-Genetics Integration Platform Assumptions—Terminology—Map Types The Linear Genetic Map Linear Genetic Maps of Phenotypic Linkage—Linear Genetic Maps of Nucleotides—Assumptions of the Linear Genetic Map The Gene Expression Map The Genotype-Phenotype Map The Literal Cartographic Genetic Map The Comparative Genetic Map The Adaptive Landscape Map An Analogous Genetic Map: The Tree of LifeDarwin’s Hypothesis—Contemporary Phylogenies Future Extensions: Mapping Genetics as a Paradigmatic Integration Platform 9. Map Thinking Science and Philosophy Existence, World Making, and Responsibility Map Thinking Scientific Methodology Map Thinking Philosophical Methodology Assumption Archaeology—Tracking Ethics and Power—Imagining “What If . . . ?” An Invitation to Dream Appendix: Cognitive Map Exercise References Index

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Book SynopsisA rich historical pastiche of 17th- and 18th-century philosophy, science, and religion.G. Y. Craig, New Scientist This book, by a distinguished Italian historian of philosophy, is a worthy successor to the author's important works on Francis Bacon and on technology and the arts. First published in Italian (in 1979), it now makes available to English readers some subtly wrought arguments about the ways in which geology and anthropology challenged biblical chronology and forced changes in the philosophy of history in the early modern era. . . . [Rossi] shows that the search for new answers about human origins spanned many disciplines and involved many fascinating intellectsBacon, Bayle, Buffon, Burnet, Descartes, Hobbes, Holbach, Hooke, Hume, Hutton, Leibniz, de Maillet, Newton, Pufendorf, Spinoza, Toland, and, most especially, Vico, whose works are impressively and freshly reevaluated here.Nina Gelbart, American Scientist

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Book SynopsisIn 1965 English scientist James Lovelock had a flash of insight: the Earth is not just teeming with life; the Earth, in some sense, is life. In this book, the author uses Gaia and its history, its supporters and detractors, to illuminate the nature of science itself.Trade Review"It is difficult to believe that yet another book on Darwin and the Darwinian Revolution could add anything new or contain any surprises. Michael Ruse's book is an exception on all counts. Darwin scholars and the general reader alike can learn from it." -David L. Hull, Nature "Useful and highly readable.... Skillfully organized and written with verve, imagination, and welcome touches of humor." -John C. Greene, Science"

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Book SynopsisFeaturing a figure of early modern science, this text explores Robert Boyle's philosophy of experiment, a central aspect of his life and work. Philosophical, legal, experimental and religious traditions that played a part in shaping Boyle's experimental thought and practice are examined.

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Book SynopsisFeaturing a figure of early modern science, this text explores Robert Boyle's philosophy of experiment, a central aspect of his life and work. Philosophical, legal, experimental and religious traditions that played a part in shaping Boyle's experimental thought and practice are examined.

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"That life is connected to death, and to evolution, is incontrovertible. But what might be the connection between death and evolution? That is, might death be an adaptation? That’s the startling conclusion reached by Durand in this brief volume, which combines philosophy, biological theory, and empirical science in often thrilling ways... Durand thinks big thoughts but is careful, in his prose, to involve readers whose interest in theoretical biology exceeds their grasp. A very important book. Highly recommended." * Choice Connect *"[The Evolutionary Origins of Life and Death] constitutes an impressive effort to integrate into a unified and coherent framework different and dispersed pieces of empirical work about how life and death emerged on Earth, and about how these two phenomena coevolved to become deeply entangled." * History and Philosophy of Life Sciences *“An eye opener for many readers, biologists, and others interested in visiting the frontiers of today’s conceptual thinking on evolution. This book, compact and simple but densely packed with information and ideas, presents the new edifice of evolutionary biology, a vibrant, progressing field that goes far beyond the confines of neo-Darwinism.” -- Eugene V. Koonin, National Center for Biotechnology Information, from the foreword“There is no question that Durand is deeply learned. The way that he lays out his argument linking life and death is certainly innovative and I am sure will attract attention. Insightful and stimulating, The Evolutionary Origins of Life and Death will forward discussion on important issues.” -- Michael Ruse, Florida State UniversityTable of ContentsForeword (by Eugene V. Koonin) Preface List of abbreviations An introduction to the scientific study of life and deathPart One: The origin of life 1 Philosophical considerations and the origin of life 2 The biotic world 3 The theory of life’s origins 4 Life at the very beginning I: the chemistry of the first biomolecules 5 Life at the very beginning II: the emergence of complex RNA molecules 6 The origin of life was an evolutionary transition in individuality 7 A synthesis for the origin of lifePart Two: The origin of death 8 Philosophical considerations and the origin of death 9 Observations of death 10 Mechanisms and measures of programmed cell death in the unicellular world 11 True PCD: when PCD is an adaptation 12 Ersatz PCD: the non-adaptive explanations for PCD 13 Programmed cell death and the levels of selection 14 A synthesis for the origin of programmed cell deathPart Three: Origins of life and death, and their coevolution 15 Group selection and the origins of life and death 16 Life and death coevolution, and the emergence of complexity Postface Additional notes Reference list Index

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"That life is connected to death, and to evolution, is incontrovertible. But what might be the connection between death and evolution? That is, might death be an adaptation? That’s the startling conclusion reached by Durand in this brief volume, which combines philosophy, biological theory, and empirical science in often thrilling ways... Durand thinks big thoughts but is careful, in his prose, to involve readers whose interest in theoretical biology exceeds their grasp. A very important book. Highly recommended." * Choice Connect *"[The Evolutionary Origins of Life and Death] constitutes an impressive effort to integrate into a unified and coherent framework different and dispersed pieces of empirical work about how life and death emerged on Earth, and about how these two phenomena coevolved to become deeply entangled." * History and Philosophy of Life Sciences *“An eye opener for many readers, biologists, and others interested in visiting the frontiers of today’s conceptual thinking on evolution. This book, compact and simple but densely packed with information and ideas, presents the new edifice of evolutionary biology, a vibrant, progressing field that goes far beyond the confines of neo-Darwinism.” -- Eugene V. Koonin, National Center for Biotechnology Information, from the foreword“There is no question that Durand is deeply learned. The way that he lays out his argument linking life and death is certainly innovative and I am sure will attract attention. Insightful and stimulating, The Evolutionary Origins of Life and Death will forward discussion on important issues.” -- Michael Ruse, Florida State UniversityTable of ContentsForeword (by Eugene V. Koonin) Preface List of abbreviations An introduction to the scientific study of life and deathPart One: The origin of life 1 Philosophical considerations and the origin of life 2 The biotic world 3 The theory of life’s origins 4 Life at the very beginning I: the chemistry of the first biomolecules 5 Life at the very beginning II: the emergence of complex RNA molecules 6 The origin of life was an evolutionary transition in individuality 7 A synthesis for the origin of lifePart Two: The origin of death 8 Philosophical considerations and the origin of death 9 Observations of death 10 Mechanisms and measures of programmed cell death in the unicellular world 11 True PCD: when PCD is an adaptation 12 Ersatz PCD: the non-adaptive explanations for PCD 13 Programmed cell death and the levels of selection 14 A synthesis for the origin of programmed cell deathPart Three: Origins of life and death, and their coevolution 15 Group selection and the origins of life and death 16 Life and death coevolution, and the emergence of complexity Postface Additional notes Reference list Index

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Book SynopsisPresents a philosophical and historical account of the engagement of the major protagonists of Victorian British philosophy. This title considers the controversies between William Whewell and John Stuart Mill on the topics of science, morality, politics, and economics. It is suitable for philosophers and historians of science.

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Book SynopsisAn exploration of the statistical foundations of scientific inference, The Nature of Scientific Evidence asks what constitutes scientific evidence and whether scientific evidence can be quantified statistically. Mark Taper, Subhash Lele, and an esteemed group of contributors explore the relationships among hypotheses, models, data, and inference on which scientific progress rests in an attempt to develop a new quantitative framework for evidence. Informed by interdisciplinary discussions among scientists, philosophers, and statisticians, they propose a new evidential approach, which may be more in keeping with the scientific method. The Nature of Scientific Evidence persuasively argues that all scientists should care more about the fine points of statistical philosophy because therein lies the connection between theory and data. Though the book uses ecology as an exemplary science, the interdisciplinary evaluation of the use of statistics in empirical research will be of interest to

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Book SynopsisA much-needed exploration of the history and philosophy of scientific research into male homosexuality. Questions about the naturalness or unnaturalness of homosexuality are as old as the hills, and the answers have often been used to condemn homosexuals, their behaviors, and their relationships. In the past two centuries, a number of sciences have involved themselves in this debate, introducing new vocabularies, theories, arguments, and data, many of which have gradually helped tip the balance toward tolerance and even acceptance. In this book, philosophers Pieter R. Adriaens and Andreas De Block explore the history and philosophy of the gay sciences, revealing how individual and societal values have colored how we think about homosexuality. The authors unpack the entanglement of facts and values in studies of male homosexuality across the natural and human sciences and consider the extent to which science has mitigated or reinforced homonegative mores. The focus of the book is Trade Review“Prejudice against those who identify as LGBT is ongoing in our culture. This makes the magnificently comprehensive and thoughtful Of Maybugs and Men: A History and Philosophy of the Sciences of Homosexuality a work of pressing contemporary relevance. Covering a wide range of topics, from the questions of homosexuality in animals and of evolutionary perspectives on homosexuality, to the philosophical and social implications of judging any kind of sexuality as healthy or otherwise, indeed of even asking such questions, it is essential reading: for researchers, for those making and enforcing social policy, and more widely for all who think we should strive to understand the nature of ourselves, human beings. A very important book.” -- Michael Ruse, author of Atheism: What Everyone Needs to Know"Against a long backdrop of simplistic discussions of the etiology of homosexuality, Of Maybugs and Men is a breath of fresh air. Pieter Adriaens and Andreas De Block explore not only the science of sexual orientation but also the indispensable value judgments that permeate empirical investigation. A must-read for anyone working on these topics—indeed, for anyone interested in how to approach history, science, and sexuality with rigor and nuance." -- John Corvino, author of What’s Wrong with Homosexuality?"With contemporary attitudes and concepts around gender, sex, and sexual orientation evolving at a breakneck pace, it can be hard to find one's footing or coherently navigate through the ever-changing—highly politicized—discourse. Helpfully, Adriaens and De Block have taken on the subject of same-sex sexual orientation from an interdisciplinary perspective: they draw on history, philosophy, and sociology of science, among other disciplines, to provide a much-needed, rich and illuminating frame of reference that will inform and challenge even the most seasoned scholars of sex and sexual orientation. At the same time, beginners will appreciate their clear, fresh writing tethered to many concrete examples and illustrations. Their book is a delight to read and marks an important contribution to our understanding of who we are as sexual beings." -- Brian D. Earp, coeditor of The Routledge Handbook of Philosophy of Sex and Sexuality"Adriaens and De Block present an incisive review of research into male homosexuality from a philosophical perspective. They carefully dissect the meanings of terms that researchers often employ without a great deal of thought. Their ideas about the evolution of homosexuality are especially illuminating." -- Simon LeVay, author of Gay, Straight, and the Reason WhyTable of ContentsIntroduction: Thinking about Science and Homosexuality 1. Not by Genes and Hormones Alone: On Homosexuality and Innateness 2. Sham Matings and Other Shenanigans: On Animal Homosexuality 3. Beyond the Paradox: On Homosexuality and Evolutionary Theory 4. Values, Facts, and Disorders: On Homosexuality and Psychiatry Epilogue: Gaydars and the Dangers of Research on Sexual Orientation Acknowledgments Notes References Index

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Book SynopsisTrade Review“A fascinating sketch of Kuhn’s mature thought. . . . The proponents of competing paradigms may practice their trades in different worlds, but, as Kuhn was at pains to stress in his last writings, sometimes those worlds are closer than we think.” -- Paul Dicken * Los Angeles Review of Books *"The road from The Structure of Scientific Revolutions to the drafts in Last Writings was, to a large extent, a long walk back—Kuhn’s attempt to clarify, revise, secure, and modify the ‘purple passages,' to dissociate himself and his book from the vulgar and the relativists. In one matter, however, he stuck firmly to a sentiment in the book that had given aid and comfort to the supposed ‘enemies of science.' You should not, Kuhn had written, think that scientific change brought practitioners ‘closer and closer to the truth.'" -- Steven Shapin * London Review of Books *"The Structure of Scientific Revolutions (1962) by philosopher of science Kuhn is ‘indispensable reading for every well-educated person,’ writes philosopher Mladenović in her introduction to this collection. She presents unpublished drafts of a reworking of Structure’s philosophical framework, with the texts of two lectures not previously published in English. Together, these explore whether historians can understand past scientific paradigms, even though these are incommensurable with present science." -- Andrew Robinson * Nature *"Readers can see Kuhn grappling with the differences between his own needs, as a philosopher and historian, and the needs of current scientists. . . . When we 'transition between worlds' today, many of us habitually presume that, in disagreements, our opponents are simply lying. Of course, this happens sometimes. But more common, I think, are interactions involving the Kuhnian difficulties of translation. One of the enduring lessons from Thomas Kuhn is that of just how difficult it is to imagine the mental lives of others, and of just how easily truths can be lost in their transit from one mind to another." -- David Kordahl * 3 Quarks Daily *"Mladenović . . . has done a great service with her new book The Last Writings of Thomas S Kuhn. Containing the unfinished draft of a book that Kuhn was still working on when he died in 1996, Last Writings brings much needed clarity to Kuhn’s philosophy and his understanding of how science develops. . . . Granted, Kuhn’s work was unfinished, but hopefully, the Last Writings will reinvigorate conversations about incommensurability for years to come." -- Gino Elia * Physics World *"Kuhn’s seminal 1962 history The Structure of Scientific Revolutions gets a posthumous follow-up in this complex volume. . . . Mladenović provides a comprehensive and thoughtful introduction to the work. . . . Philosophy lovers . . . will find plenty to chew on." * Publishers Weekly *"This book offers an editorial reconstruction of Thomas Kuhn's uncompleted final work, The Plurality of Worlds. . . Kuhn argues for a view of past and current science as empirically grounded and scientific change as rational, while retaining the insight that competing scientific paradigms are incommensurable. . . Recommended." * Choice * "Mladenović's edition of some of Kuhn’s last and most valuable writings is a gem for philosophers of science. . . . The writings of his last stage as a philosopher of science exhibit a profound awareness of the intricacies and consequences of his particular approach to the field. A careful reading of this volume shows this and many other interpretive keys for Kuhn’s philosophy of science. I hope that this brief summary of the volume will do as an invitation to read and reread this wonderful incomplete treatise. Kuhn’s thinking is still alive in these pages." -- Juan V. Mayoral * Journal for General Philosophy of Science *"After being on the wish-list of many historians and philosophers of science for decades, The Last Writings of Thomas S. Kuhn are finally available and open to discussion for interested readers. . . . The editor obviously did detailed and hard work on the manuscripts, some of which were left unfinished and required substantial engagement with the pieces, notes, and a significant knowledge of Kuhn’s person, intention, and works. The editorial work is also reflected in the additional notes at the end of the volume—explaining some of Kuhn’s mysterious remarks, mistakes, or unfinished sections—and a short index. . . . Leaving plenty of space for further discussion and comparisons, one remains in a state of puzzlement when asked whether The Last Writings belongs to philosophy, sociology, or history of science, or perhaps to the even newer trends of history and philosophy of science. The sciences, including psychology, neurology, comparative anthropology, and cognitive enterprises, are marching forward, providing sufficient material for philosophers to engage with." -- Adam Tamas Tuboly * Metascience *"The Last Writings pave the way for the development of new approaches by epistemologists, providing useful philosophical tools. More generally, this collection gives elements of answers to classical problems, such as the relationship between language and the world or the status of truth in science." -- Alexandre Francq and Sylvain Billiard * Quarterly Review of Biology *“Combining Kuhn’s unfinished last book, The Plurality of Worlds, with two related works not previously available in English, and a substantial and illuminating introduction by editor Bojana Mladenović, The Last Writings of Thomas S. Kuhn will be received as an absolute gem by philosophers of science, as well as by the wide swath of academics across the social sciences and humanities who revere Kuhn.” -- Cheryl Misak, Department of Philosophy, University of Toronto, author of "Frank Ramsey: A Sheer Excess of Powers"Table of ContentsEditor’s Introduction Editor’s Note Thomas S. Kuhn: Scientific Knowledge as Historical Product Abstract for “The Presence of Past Science (The Shearman Memorial Lectures)” Thomas S. Kuhn: The Presence of Past Science (The Shearman Memorial Lectures) Lecture I: Regaining the Past Lecture II: Portraying the Past Lecture III: Embodying the Past Abstract for The Plurality of Worlds: An Evolutionary Theory of Scientific Development Thomas S. Kuhn: The Plurality of Worlds: An Evolutionary Theory of Scientific Development Acknowledgments Part I: The Problem Chapter 1: Scientific Knowledge as Historical Product Chapter 2: Breaking into the Past Chapter 3: Taxonomy and Incommensurability Part II: A World of Kinds Chapter 4: Biological Prerequisites to Linguistic Description: Track and Situations Chapter 5: Natural Kinds: How Their Names Mean Chapter 6: Practices, Theories, and Artefactual Kinds Bibliography Editor’s Acknowledgments Notes Index

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Book SynopsisA concise primer that complicates a convenient truth in biologythe divide between germ and somatic cellswith far-reaching ethical and public policy ramifications. Scientists have long held that we have two kinds of cellsgerm and soma. Make a change to germ cellssay using genome editingand that change will appear in the cells of future generations. Somatic cells are safe after such tampering; modify your skin cells, and your future children's skin cells will never know. And, while germ cells can give rise to new generations (including all of the somatic cells in a body), somatic cells can never become germ cells. How did scientists discover this relationship and distinction between somatic and germ cellsthe so-called Weismann Barrierand does it actually exist? Can somatic cells become germ cells in the way germ cells become somatic cells? That is, can germ cells regenerate from somatic cells even though conventional wisdom denies this possibility? Covering research from the late ninTrade Review“Excellent. A truly original take on the history of the Weismann Barrier and how it developed into a questionable assumption that forms the basis of various modern concepts about germ cells and regeneration.” -- Hanna Lucia Worliczek, Max Planck Institute for the History of Science, Berlin“We need to see regeneration as a window into the world of biology in general, and the complex feedback loops that decide what grows, divides and dies, where and when.” -- Simon Ings * New Scientist, on "What Is Regeneration?" *Table of ContentsIntroduction 1 Uncovering Assumptions That Have Shaped Germ Cell Science 2 Backgrounding Conflicts within Germ Cell Science 3 Challenging Assumptions in Germline Science 4 Implications of Reenvisioning Germline Regeneration Epilogue Acknowledgments Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisA study of the ethical dilemmas and moral issues surrounding the interaction of humans and technology. Drawing from Heidegger and Foucault, as well as from philosophers of technology such as Don Ihde and Bruno Latour, it locates morality not just in the human users of technology but in the interaction between us and our machines.Trade Review"Peter-Paul Verbeek's insightful analysis invites us to attend more carefully to the ways we practice our moralities, not only with other people and nature but also among and through the artifacts that have become our children, siblings, parents, aunts, uncles, and cousins, with all the love-hate relationships typical of family life." (Carl Mitcham, Colorado School of Mines)"

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Book SynopsisTracing the history of mesmerism, this text explores the contested territory between science and pseudoscience and society and science. Examining who was entranced, who did the entrancing, why it was so compelling and how it became equally powerful evidence of fraud and unscientific behaviour.

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Book SynopsisThis long-overdue volume explores Donna Haraway's influence on feminist theory and philosophy, paying particular attention to her more recent work on companion species, rather than her “Manifesto for Cyborgs.”Trade Review...an invaluable tool for student's wishing to further explore Haraway's work. Critical TheoryTable of ContentsAcknowledgments 1. Adventures with Haraway 2. Natures 3. Knowledges 4. Politics 5. Ethics 6. Stories Sowing Worlds: A Seed Bag for Terraforming with Earth Others Appendix: Some Bibliometric Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewExtinction Studies collects haunting and haunted multivoiced stories that echo together in a vibrant plea for an ethic of care, lucidity, and obstinate, stammering hope. We need such stories to make us feel and think with the unraveling of a world we inherit and share together with innumerable entangled forms and ways of life. We need them also to repopulate our devastated imaginations and to help us escape the twin easy temptations of nihilist despair and blind confidence. -- Isabelle Stengers, author of Cosmopolitics This extraordinary collection addresses one of the most sobering aspects of the current environmental crisis. The contributing scholars use narrative as the vehicle for their historical, ethnographic, zoological, meditative, and poetic insights. The result is both personal and scholarly, both illuminating and a pleasure to read. -- Harriet Ritvo, Arthur J. Conner Professor of History, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Extinction Studies makes an important contribution to human-animal studies and the environmental humanities as the volume explores what extinctions and recoveries of endangered animal species mean in different cultural contexts. These perceptive and wide-ranging essays focus on the narrative and philosophical frameworks that turn the ecological reduction of bioabundance and biodiversity into sources of reflection about human and more-than-human ways of life as they unfold across generations and evolutionary ages. These analyses and meditations acknowledge both that animals can never be fully assimilated to human understanding, and that human stories play a crucial role in shaping the bonds with animals that take multispecies communities into a future of danger, but also of hope and exuberance. -- Ursula K. Heise, Marcia H. Howard Chair in Literary Studies, University of California, Los Angeles Human-caused extinction challenges our own survival-but also our compassion and our ability to tell stories adequate to shifting configurations of 'us' and 'them.' This volume gathers seven fine storytellers who show us what it means to lose or save another animal species in an era of rapid extinctions. These are tales of passion, time, conflict, learning, slaughter, imprisonment, and prayer. Drawing upon their common membership in an interdisciplinary and international working group on extinction studies, the authors show the potential of the environmental humanities to address one of the major crises of our moment in history. -- Anna Tsing, University of California, Santa Cruz The studies contained in this volume cross species and kingdom boundaries, and are full of hope just as much as grief and mourning. In bearing witness to the lives of species that are functionally and/or already extinct, the authors present multiple modes of response and responsibility for those of us who remain. -- Brett Buchanan, associate professor of philosophy and director of the School of the Environment at Laurentian UniversityTable of ContentsForeword, by Cary Wolfe Introduction: Telling Extinction Stories, by Deborah Bird Rose, Thom van Dooren, and Matthew Chrulew 1. Walking with Okami, the Large-Mouthed Pure God, by James Hatley 2. Saving the Golden Lion Tamarin, by Matthew Chrulew 3. Extinction in a Distant Land: The Question of Elliot's Bird of Paradise, by Rick De Vos 4. Monk Seals at the Edge: Blessings in a Time of Peril, by Deborah Bird Rose 5. Encountering Leatherbacks in Multispecies Knots of Time, by Michelle Bastian 6. Spectral Crows in Hawai'i: Conservation and the Work of Inheritance, by Thom van Dooren Afterword: It Is an Entire World That Has Disappeared, by Vinciane Despret Contributors Index

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Book SynopsisEnergy Dreams interrogates the ontology of energy from the first coinage of the word energeia by Aristotle to the current practice of fracking and the popularity of “energy drinks.”Trade ReviewEnergy is something that pervades all our concerns from ecological to libidinal: we dream about clean renewable energy, condemn fracking, gain strength through energy drinks. Michael Marder's Energy Dreams moves beyond these topics and asks a more fundamental hermeneutic question: what understanding of energy is presupposed in our mundane concerns? He demonstrates brilliantly that we need a new philosophical paradigm and that only in this way will we be able to properly confront all the practical problems in our dealings with energy. Marder's book makes it clear that only a deeper theoretical reflection will enable us to solve our most "practical" problems-a lesson needed like daily bread in today's world, which more and more abhors authentic thinking. -- Slavoj Zizek, author of Less Than Nothing and Absolute Recoil Energy Dreams is an intellectually fascinating and exciting investigation of energy, and it represents a new generation of environmental thinking that tackles the environmental crisis with philosophical sophistication and adventurousness. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in contemporary debates in environmental and political philosophy. -- Adrian Parr, author of The Wrath of Capital Energy Dreams is a passionate philosophical page-turner, a beautifully rendered and urgently needed elemental philosophy of non-violence that journeys to the very heart of how we imagine our relationships to ourselves, each other, our worlds, and the earth itself. Marder's vegetal thinking is visionary. -- Kelly Oliver, author of Earth and World: Philosophy After the Apollo Missions Michael Marder's Energy Dreams is a book on energeia, broadly conceived, a reflectively literal tour de force, moving through Aristotle to Hegel, including the many contemporary and historical meanings of energy, touching down with Heidegger and even Carl Schmitt but always returning to Aristotle. Marder offers a conversational yet rigorous reflection on some the most important issues of our time. -- Babette Babich, Fordham UniversityTable of ContentsOpening Words 1. Energy Dreams 2. Theological Musings 3. Economic Chimeras 4. Psychological Reveries 5. Political Fantasies 6. Physical Fancies The Last Word: Energy or Energies? P.S.-The Very Last Word Notes Works Cited Index

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Book SynopsisA stimulating perspective on how scientists interpret the world and communicate among themselves and with othersTrade Review"An interesting and important book . . . filled with insight about the way scientists think and work, a book that will generate an important dialogue about science and science education.”--Journal of Chemical Education"Making Truth is an engaging and well-written book about the importance of metaphor in science, intended for a wide audience."--Philosophy of Science"Brown has a fluid and accessible writing style, and whether or not you find his thesis convincing, Making Truth makes for thought-provoking and worthwhile reading."--The Nucleus“For anyone interested in the philosophy of science. Highly recommended.”--Choice"To sum up: Theodore L. Brown's book is excellent."--HYLE--International Journal for Philosophy of Chemistry"Anyone with a serious interest in science must read this book. In it, Brown demonstrates that metaphorical thought is central in all branches of science, just as it is in everyday life and mathematics. Particles as waves, time as a spatial dimension, gravity as the curvature of space-time, ion channels, protein folding. All these crucial scientific metaphors--and many more--allow us to understand science in terms of our embodied experience, build comprehensible models, make predictions, and perform precise calculations."--George Lakoff, coauthor of Metaphors We Live By, Philosophy in the Flesh, and Where Mathematics Comes From“This is an important book. Scientists will find it thought-provoking, and science teachers will find it a gold mine. Indeed, this book could be transforming for science education at the elementary, high school, and introductory college level.”--Linda S. Wilson, president emerita of Radcliffe College and coauthor of Who Succeeds in Science? The Gender DimensionTable of ContentsPreface ix 1. Scientific Thought and Practice 1 2. Introduction to Metaphor 14 3. The Theory of Conceptual Metaphor 31 4. The Classical Atom 53 5. The Modern Atom 74 6. Molecular Models in Chemistry and Biology 100 7. Protein Folding 122 8. Cellular-Level Metaphors 146 9. Global Warming 160 10. Science's Metaphorical Foundations: The Social in Science 183 Notes 197 Index 211

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Book SynopsisExplores what the last few decades of European/American, feminist, and postcolonial science and technology studies can learn from each other. This book proposes new directions for thinking about objectivity, method, and reflexivity in light of the new understandings developed in the post-World War II world.Trade Review" ... a fascinating and important book." --Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development

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Book SynopsisA mind-expanding exploration of light and how we experience the universeTrade Review"A brilliant and distinguished book... Grandy introduces a trans-scientific understanding of light as a deep ordering principle within the universe." -Thaddeus J. Trenn, University of TorontoTable of ContentsIntroduction1. Space, Time, and Light Speed Constancy2. Special Relativity3. Horizonal Light4. Experiential Light5. Relational Light6. Internal Relations7. Light in a Vacuum8. Ambient Light9. Pre-reflective Experience10. Body, World, and Light11. Existential LightNotesBibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisAn overview of Simone Weil's writings on science and mathematics which opens the door to dialogue between philosophy, art, and religionTrade Review"For its rigor, as well as for its faithful reading of Simone Weil's work, this book merits special attention. Starting with a well-defined aspect of Weil's thought, the author shows the unity of this thought, unified through its relationship, from one end to the other, with the Good." —Cahiers Simone Weil"Weaving the World is a detailed account of the philosophy of science and knowledge of Simone Weil. It is a very useful contribution to our understanding of one of the deepest and most incandescent thinkers of the twentieth century." —Martin Andic, University of Massachusetts, Boston"Weaving the World is a well-written and lucid overview of Simone Weil's writings on science and mathematics. This book will be of great benefit for anyone who wishes to pursue Weil's thought in depth." —Eric O. Springsted, President of the American Weil Society

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Book SynopsisIn this thought-provoking book, distinguished legal scholar Joseph Vining traces the complex roots of brutal twentieth-century human experimentation and extermination to worldviews that dehumanize both perpetrators and victims in distinctive ways, stripping them of their individuality as well as their intrinsic dignity and value. Vining finds a disturbing parallel between these worldviews and what he calls total theory. Total theories are beautiful and helpful explanations through attention to system and process that aggressively claim to account for the universe and everything in it. Vining maintains that some of the most gifted intellectuals and scientists of our time profess these theories without necessarily considering the implications of such totalizing worldviews.Using the example of the song sparrow and the child, Vining opens our eyes to the ramifications of total theory. He challenges readers to question casual acceptance of the total theories that are widely and quTrade Review“The Song Sparrow and the Child is a powerful indictment of the impulses toward intellectual imperialism that have arisen in the wake of the fragmentation of the human and natural sciences. Vining has given us an important book, illuminating as only he can the hidden connections among seemingly unrelated phenomena.” —Mary Ann Glendon, Learned Hand Professor of Law, Harvard University“The Song Sparrow and the Child is an astonishing and wonderful book. With exquisite sensitivity to science as an admirable human practice Joseph Vining has thought through the implications of the scientific ambition for “total theory,” for all-encompassing frameworks of explanation. Far from being intrinsic to the scientific endeavor, Vining argues that total theory is a threat—not only to science but also to the broader realm of human thought and ethical action. The Song Sparrow and the Child recalls us to a concern for particularity and for honesty about the infliction of suffering which is intellectually convincing and does so with both grace and passion. This is a book that demands, and rewards, thinking hard with the mind and heart.” —H. Jefferson Powell, Professor of Law and Divinity, Duke University“This book is an erudite, personal, and even poetic discourse on the conception of humankind’s role that may be necessary in order that the sparrow and the child, the lamb and the lion, and all humankind live together with a greater sense of awe and harmony.” —Harold T. Shapiro, President Emeritus and Professor of Economics and Public Affairs, Princeton University". . .The Song Sparrow and the Child is continuous with earlier writings that have established Vining among the more profoundly challenging but also more idiosyncratic and elusive (and as a result, I believe, underappreciated) legal thinkers in recent decades. . . one of the voices in the legal academy most worth listening to." —Michigan Law Review". . . wise, gentle, and impassioned book. . ." —Theological Studies"Vining uses words well, even elegantly. His book is a combination legal argument and sermon." —Choice

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Book SynopsisThis book illustrates scientific methodology through descriptions of how actual scientists create science. The authors present a novel point of view, arguing that the popular perception of science as being strictly objective is untrue and that knowledge is often acquired through very personal means.Trade Review"Press and Tanur argue that subjectivity has not only played a significant role in the advancement of science, but that science will advance more rapidly if the modern methods of Bayesian statistical analysis replace some of the more classical twentieth-century methods." (SciTech Book News, Vol. 25, No. 3, September 2001) "An insightful work." (Choice, Vol. 39, No. 4, December 2001) "compilation of interesting and popular problems" (Short Book Reviews - Publication of the Int. Statistical Institute, December 2001) "...this book is fascinating." (Short Book Reviews, Vol. 21, No. 3, December 2001) "...highlight the role of subjectivity in science by describing the life and works of 17 scientists." (Zentralblatt MATH, Vol. 973, 2001/23)Table of ContentsPrefaceix 1. Introduction 1 2. Selecting the Scientists 17 3. Some Well Known Stories of Extreme Subjectivity 23 3.1 Introduction 23 3.2 Johannes Kepler 23 3.3 Gregor Mendel 26 3.4 Robert Millikan 34 3.5 Cyril Burt 37 3.6 Margaret Mead 43 4. Stories of Famous Scientists 49 4.1 Introduction 49 4.2 Aristotle 51 4.3 Galileo Galilei 60 4.4 William Harvey 71 4.5 Sir Isaac Newton 81 4.6 Antoine Lavoisier 95 4.7 Alexander von Humboldt 110 4.8 Michael Faraday 121 4.9 Charles Darwin 128 4.10 Louis Pasleur 143 4.11 Sigmund Freud 156 4.12 Marie Curie 166 4.13 Albert Einstein 177 4.14 Same Conjecrures About the Scientists 189 5. Subjectivity .in Science in Modern Times: The Bayesian Approach199 Appendix: References by Field of Application for Bayesian Statistical Science225 Bibliography 231 Subject Index 249 Name Index 267

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