Philosophy of science Books

Book SynopsisMany scientists and scientifically-minded commentators are skeptical that free will exists. In clear, scientifically rigorous terms, Christian List explains that free will is like other real phenomena that emerge from physical processes but are autonomous from them—like an ecosystem or the economy—and are indispensable for explaining our world.Trade ReviewIn Why Free Will Is Real, List does as advertised, advancing a novel, intriguing view of free will and making a thoughtful case for the thesis that free will, as he conceives of it, is real. This book is a pleasure to read. -- Alfred Mele, Florida State UniversityAn original and challenging new contribution to contemporary debates about free will. After making a compelling case for the irreducibility of different explanatory levels of reality, Christian List argues that free will requires indeterminism at the psychological level of explanation, but not at the physical level, where it is compatible with determinism. His arguments in support of these claims address a host of potential objections and include insightful appeals to new developments in the logic of agency and branching time, among other novel arguments. -- Robert H. Kane, The University of Texas at AustinMany philosophers have suggested that we may be causally determined at the neurophysiological level, but not at the psychological. List is the first to work out a detailed proposal of how this might work, and of how it can underpin an account of free will. Developing ideas from theories of causation and of counterfactuals, it provides an incisive and accessible introduction to contemporary thinking about how we might be free in a causally-determined world. -- Richard Holton, University of CambridgeAccessible, clear and convincing…List’s carefully crafted argument may help many of us sleep more soundly, being further assured that we can choose how to live our own lives. -- Ellie Lasater-Guttman * LSE Review of Books *List argues that free will is not explained away through science by looking at the activity in our brain…A wonderful defense of free will accessibly written for readers new to the topic. * Library Journal *Well argued and admirably sets out the challenges to free will that, when coupled with its clarity, make it an excellent gateway into the contemporary free will debate. -- Logan B. Weir * Review of Metaphysics *A fresh defense of the existence of free will against those of its skeptics who claim that free will has no place within a scientifically respectable worldview…There’s much to admire and recommend in List’s book. It’s pithy, clear, and well-organized while managing to provide highly original and thought-provoking arguments. -- James Goodrich * Journal of Moral Philosophy *Highly original…List defends the claim that we have libertarian free will in a new and important way. -- Derk Pereboom * Criminal Law and Philosophy *

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Book SynopsisPresents an integrated view of evolution as a dynamic process, based on the author's lifetime of biological research.Trade Review'This remarkable, exquisitely illustrated study of the plant and animals worlds contains many fascinating bits of information … But the book is not just a catalogue of interesting facts. It is an invitation to view the world of nature -- plants, animals, and the human being -- in a new way. Metamorphosis is an engaging, thought-provoking synthesis of science, art, and philosophy that will appeal to any reader of high school age and above -- student, teacher, parent, scientist, artist -- anyone with an interest in the world in which we live … Metamorphosis is a challenging book … for all enquiring minds, the book is a valuable scientific and artistic resource and an invitation to a new level of respect and love for and wonder at the world of nature.'-- Ronald Koetzsch, Renewal: A Journal for Waldorf Education, Spring/Summer 2010'Metamorphosis is a truly exceptional and beautiful book which imparts extraordinary insight into the mysterious but highly ordered processes of evolution.'-- Martin Lockley, Scientific and Medical Network Review, Summer 2010'It would be impossible to convey the immense richness of Suchantke’s book in the few pages of a review … Metamorphosis will undoubtedly be both a comfort and a challenge to students of anthroposophy, and may well be a source of inspiration to people who have never heard of Rudolf Steiner.'-- Science Group of the Anthroposophical Society in Great Britain NewsletterTable of ContentsAbout the Author and this BookForewordIntroduction: Metamorphosis--Evolution in Action1. Archetype and Evolution--a Contradiction? Understanding2. An Example of Metamorphosis: Goethe's Idea of the Vertebral Nature of the Cranial Bones3. "From top to bottom the plant is all leaf." Formative Tendencies in the Domain of the LeafEverything is Leaf?Metamorphosis in the Evolution of a Family of Plants:the Pathway of the Cacti from the Forest to the Desert and back againThe "Primal Leaf": the Ocean's Green CarpetThe Leaf-form--Outcome of a Dialogue between Earth and Cosmos4. The BlossomThe Polarity of Leaf and FlowerFlower ColorThe Morphic Field of the Blossom5. Interim Summary: Metamorphoses--the Key to Understanding the Nature of Life6. The Various Forms of Metamorphosis in the Plant KingdomMetamorphosis and JuvenilizationThe Development of the Leaf through the Ages of the EarthEvolutionary CountermovementsPinnacles of Plant Evolution: Orchids and Grasses"Reproduction" and "Nutritive Multiplication"7. Polarity and Threefold Organization: The Dynamics of Metamorphosis8. Polarity and Threefold Structure in the Animal KingdomThe MammalsAn Interim Note on MethodThe BirdsThe InsectsInsects in generalButterfliesBeetlesThe middle group of insects9. The Archetype in Action--Metamorphosis and Threefold Structure in the Evolution of the AnimalVacillation between the Inner and the OuterStages of InternalizationFrom Exoskeleton to EndoskeletonSummaryLatimeria and the crossed alternation gaitThe Formation of the Endoskeleton and the LimbsConfirmation of Statements made by Rudolf Steineron the Head and Limb Formation in Human Beings,and on the Question of how to Present this as a Teacher10. The All-pervasive EndoskeletonThe Exoskeleton and the Endoskeleton in CoelenteratesMolluscs and their Skeletons11. The Fate of Exoskeleton and Endoskeleton in the Further Course of EvolutionLife between Levity and Gravity"Limbs" of the Head: Horns and AntlersThe Separating out of the Bodily Systems--The Embodiment of the Archetype in the Human BeingNotes and ReferencesBibliography

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Book SynopsisThe new mechanistic philosophy is divided into two largely disconnected projects. One deals with a metaphysical inquiry into how mechanisms relate to issues such as causation, capacities and levels of organization, while the other deals with epistemic issues related to the discovery of mechanisms and the intelligibility of mechanistic representations. Tudor Baetu explores and explains these projects, and shows how the gap between them can be bridged. His proposed account is compatible both with the assumptions and practices of experimental design in biological research, and with scientifically accepted interpretations of experimental results.Trade Review'… philosophers will find a novel experimental perspective to add to the repertoire of characterizations of phenomena and mechanism. The book ends with a helpful recapitulation of the main points.' Lindley Darden, The Quarterly Review of BiologyTable of Contents1. Mechanisms and their discovery; 2. What is a phenomenon?; 3. How do mechanisms and phenomena relate to one another?; 4. What is the physical nature of biological mechanisms?; A recapitulation and some clarifications.

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Book SynopsisFirst and only undergraduate textbook that addresses the social and ethical issues associated with a wide array of emerging technologies, including genetic modification, human enhancement, geoengineering, robotics, virtual reality, artificial meat, neurotechnologies, information technologies, nanotechnology, sex selection, and more.Trade Review“Sandler’s book Ethics and Emerging Technologies offers an overview of the topic and gathers contributions from philosophers, ethicists, and policy scholars in an attempt to help students develop linguistic, conceptual, critical, and perspectival resources which will enable them to think carefully about the ethics of new technologies. … For those who have been focusing on nanoethics, this book is thus a suitable starting point for an exploration or comparison of key ethical issues relating to different types of technology domains.” (Laura Yenisa Cabrera Trujillo, Nanoethics, Vol. 9, 2015)Table of ContentsPreface Structure and User's Guide Acknowledgments Introduction PART I: GENERAL REFLECTION ON ETHICS AND TECHNOLOGY 1. Section Overview 2. Technology: Practice and Culture; A. Pacey 3. Technology and Responsibility: Reflections on the New Tasks of Ethics; H. Jonas 4. Technologies as Forms of Life; L. Winner PART II: REPRODUCTIVE TECHNOLOGIES 5. Section Overview 6. Reproductive Technologies: Ethical Debates; L. Frith 7. Preventing a Brave New World; L. Kass 8. The Ethics of Sex Selection; I. de Melo-Martin 9. Selecting Children: The Ethics of Reproductive Genetic Engineering; M. Liao PART III: BIOMEDICAL AND THERAPEUTIC TECHNOLOGIES 10. Section Overview 11. Ethical Issues in Human Stem Cell Research; I. de Melo-Martin and M. Gillis 12. Crossing Species Boundaries; J. Robert and F. Baylis 13. The Coming Era of Nanomedicine; F. Allhoff 14. Psychopharmacology and Functional Neurosurgery: Manipulating Memory, Thought, and Mood; W. Glannon 15. Incentivizing Access and Innovation for Essential Medicines: A Survey of the Problem and Proposed Solutions; M. Ravvin PART IV: HUMAN ENHANCEMENT TECHNOLOGIES 16. Section Overview 17. Beyond Therapy; United States President's Council on Bioethics 18. Why I Want to be a Posthuman When I Grow Up; N. Bostrom 19. Moral Enhancement; T. Douglas 20. Enhancing Justice; T. Garcia and R. Sandler PART V: INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY 21. Section Overview 22. Bigger Monster, Weaker Chains: The Growth of An American Surveillance Society; J. Stanley and B. Steinhardt 23. Nanotechnology and Privacy: The Instructive Case of RFID; J. Van den Hoven 24. Intellectual Property: Legal and Moral Challenges of Online File Sharing; R. Spinello 25. Virtual Reality and Computer Simulation; P. Brey 26. The Digital Divide; K. Himma and Maria Bottis PART VI: ROBOTICS AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE 27. Section Overview 28. Ethics, War, and Robots; P. Lin, K. Abney and G. Bekey 29. Ethics, Law, and Governance in the Development of Robots; W. Wallach 30. What to do About Artificial Consciousness; J. Basl 31. The Singularity is Near; R. Kurzweil PART VII: ENVIRONMENT AND TECHNOLOGY 32. Section Overview 33. Risk, Precaution, and Nanotechnology; K. Elliott 34. Avoiding Catastrophic Climate Change: Why Technological Innovation is Necessary but Not Sufficient; P. Cafaro 35. Ethical Anxieties about Geoengineering; C. Hamilton 36. Ecosystems Unbound: Ethical Questions for an Interventionist Ecology; B. Minteer and J. Collins PART VIII: AGRICULTURAL TECHNOLOGY 37. Section Overview 38. Ethics and Genetically Modified Foods; G. Comstock 39. Women and the Gendered Politics of Food; V. Shiva 40. The Ethics of Agricultural Animal Biotechnology; R. Streiffer and J. Basl 41. Artificial Meat; P. Thompson PART IX: SYNTHETIC GENOMICS AND ARTIFICIAL LIFE 42. Section Overview 43. Synthetic Biology, Biosecurity, and Biosafety; M. Garfinkle and L. Knowles 44. Evolution and the Deep Past: Intrinsic Responses to Synthetic Biology; C. Preston 45. Social and Ethical Implications of Creating Artificial Cells; M.A. Bedau and M. Triant Index

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Book SynopsisA balanced and thought-provoking guide to all the big questions about AI and ethics Can computers understand morality? Can they respect privacy? And what can we do to make AI safe and fair? The artificial intelligence revolution has begun. Today, there are self-driving cars on our streets, autonomous weapons in our armies, robot surgeons in our hospitals and AI''s presence in our lives will only increase. Some see this as the dawn of a new era in innovation and ease; others are alarmed by its destructive potential. But one thing is clear: this is a technology like no other, one that raises profound questions about the very definitions of human intelligence and morality. In Moral AI, world-renowned researchers in moral psychology, philosophy, and artificial intelligence Jana Schaich Borg, Walter Sinnott-Armstrong and Vincent Conitzer tackle these thorny issues head-on. Writing lucidly and calmly, they lay out the recent advances in this still nascent field, peeling away the exaggeration and misleading arguments. Instead, they offer clear examinations of the moral concerns at the heart of AI programs, from racial equity to personal privacy, fake news to autonomous weaponry. Ultimately, they argue that artificial intelligence can be built and used safely and ethically, but that its potential cannot be achieved without careful reflection on the values we wish to imbue it with. This is an essential primer for any thinking person.Trade ReviewA philosopher, data scientist and computer scientist tackle the key ethical challenges of AI: safety, privacy, fairness, responsibility and how to inject human morality into AI. Practical and peppered with lively examples. This is a must-have as AI fundamentally changes all of our lives. Balanced, thoughtful and engaging -- Julian SavulescuCan we build and use AI ethically? I believe this book gives the best answer to this question: yes, but it is up to us, so we all have to make an effort. If you want to understand the impact of AI on our lives, and how to make it a positive one, you need to read it -- Francesca RossiTaking on the challenge of AI calls for perspectives grounded in multiple areas of expertise, and that is what Moral AI provides. . . A judicious and deeply-informed guide -- Peter RailtonMoral AI is a gracefully written and balanced book which should be required reading for all humans and generations of ChatGPTs. Written by an exceptional interdisciplinary team, it eschews hyperbole and brings what the Greeks would call phronesis - or practical wisdom - to the modern challenge of artificial intelligence -- Joseph J. FinsThe authors blend their expertise from diverse fields to provide fresh insights and feasible suggestions for balancing AI advancement with ethical considerations. The book is a timely and significant contribution, particularly relevant now. It serves as a guiding light, both for those who are getting started on the journey, and for those who are looking for a fresh perspective -- Abhishek Gupta

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Book SynopsisFrom the 2021 Nobel Prize winner in Physics, a remarkable journey into the practice of groundbreaking science ''Giorgio Parisi is renowned for his scientific creativity, originality, and power. In this exhilarating little book, he shows his human side, too. By its end, readers will feel they''ve made a charming, witty new friend'' Frank WilczekThe world is shaped by complexity. In this enlightening book, Nobel Prize winner Giorgio Parisi guides us through his unorthodox yet exhilarating work to show us how. It all starts with investigating the principles of physics by observing the sophisticated flight patterns of starlings. Studying the movements of these birds, he has realized, proves an illuminating way into understanding complex systems of all kinds - collections of everything from atoms to planets to other animals like ourselves. Along the way, Parisi reflects on the lessons he''s taken from a life in pursuit of scientific truth: the importance oTrade ReviewThe man who looked at birds and grasped the secrets of the universe ... Read this, and you will get at least a frisson of what a top-flight career in physics might feel like * Daily Telegraph *The Italian physicist puts the fiendishly tricky theory of complex systems in terms of birds and bus rides ... aims to make his branch of science accessible to all * Observer *Giorgio Parisi is remarkably flexible and ingenious... In a Flight of Starlings is a compelling introduction to how modern researchers think about complex systems, enlivened by autobiographical anecdote and reflection on the processes of science -- Sean Carroll * The Times Literary Supplement *Parisi tells of his adventures in thinking in this alarmingly brilliant, witty and brief book -- Robert Fox * Evening Standard *In a Flight of Starlings offers a glimpse into scientific discovery ... a forceful argument for the value of scientific literacy at a time when it's increasingly being challenged by misinformation ... Parisi's book is a step toward making physics feel more accessible -- Andrew DeMillo * Independent *An interesting collection of essays reflecting on Parisi's long career in science . . . The scientific explanations are admirably lucid * The Wall Street Journal *An erudite contemplation on both science and the process of doing science. And a joy to read -- Marcus Chown * Prospect Magazine *In this delightful and deeply thoughtful book, Giorgio Parisi weaves a tapestry of experiences and ideas that connects disciplines and prepares us to appreciate the beauty, importance, and cultural value of science -- Frances Arnold, winner of the Nobel PrizeAn extraordinary scientist -- Carlo Rovelli, author of Seven Brief Lessons on PhysicsGiorgio Parisi is renowned for his scientific creativity, originality, and power. In this exhilarating little book, he shows his human side, too. By its end, readers will feel they've made a charming, witty new friend. -- Frank Wilczek, winner of the Nobel Prize and author of Fundamentals

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Book SynopsisPhilosophy of Molecular Medicine: Foundational Issues in Theory and Practice aims at a systematic investigation of a number of foundational issues in the field of molecular medicine. The volume is organized around four broad modules focusing, respectively, on the following key aspects: What are the nature, scope, and limits of molecular medicine? How does it provide explanations? How does it represent and model phenomena of interest? How does it infer new knowledge from data and experiments? The essays collected here, authored by prominent scientists and philosophers of science, focus on a handful of mainstream topics in the philosophical literature, such as causation, explanation, modeling, and scientific inference. These previously unpublished contributions shed new light on these traditional topics by integrating them with problems, methods, and results from three prominent areas of contemporary biomedical science: basic research, tranTrade ReviewPhilosophy of Molecular Medicine offers 12 insightful chapters of philosophical and historical reflections on foundational issues in molecular medicine. This edited volume offers a rich introduction to and discussion of important philosophical issues that arise at the interface of basic science, clinical research, and clinical practice.-Sara Green, SpringerTable of ContentsIntroduction Giovanni Boniolo and Marco J. NathanPart 1: Nature, Origins, and ScopeChap. 1: Molecular medicine: the clinical method enters the lab. What tumor heterogeneity and primary tumor culture teach us Giovanni BonioloChap. 2: Personalized Medicine: Historical Roots of a Medical Model Mariacarla Gadebusch Bondio and Francesco SpöringChap. 3: From the concept of genetic disease to the geneticization of diseases: analyzing and solving the paradox of contemporary medical genetics Marie Darrason Part 2: Explanation Chap. 4: Molecular complexity: Why has psychiatry not been revolutionized by genomics (yet)? Maël LemoineChap. 5: How cancer spreads: reconceptualizing a disease Katherine E. Liu, Alan C. Love, and Michael TravisanoChap. 6: Evolutionary Perspectives on Molecular Medicine: Cancer from an Evolutionary Perspective Anya PlutynskiPart 3: Representation and Modeling Chap. 7: Towards a Notion of Intervention in Big-Data Biology and Molecular Medicine Federico Boem and Emanuele RattiChap. 8: Pathways to the clinic: cancer stem cells and challenges for translational research Melinda Bonnie FaganChap. 9: Counterfactual Reasoning in Molecular Medicine Marco J. NathanPart 4: Inference Chap. 10: Forms of Extrapolation in Molecular Medicine Pierre-Luc Germain and Tudor BaetuChap. 11: Testing Oncological Treatments in the Era of Personalized Medicine David TeiraChap. 12: Opportunities and challenges of molecular epidemiology Federica Russo and Paolo Vineis

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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Book Synopsis A reprint of the Bobbs-Merrill edition of 1970. These essays lead the reader through the land of the wonderful shrinking genie to the warehouse where the infinity machines are kept. By careful examination of a lamp that is switched on and off infinitely many times, or the workings of a machine that prints out an infinite decimal expansion of pi, we begin to understand how it is possible for Achilles to overtake the tortoise. The concepts that form the basis of modern science-space, time, motion, change, infinity-are examined and explored in this edition. Includes an updated bibliography.

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Book Synopsis"Structure of Science: Problems in the Logic of Scientific Explanation - 2nd Edition".Trade ReviewErnest Nagel's work, The Structure of Science , has earned for itself the status of an outstanding standard work in its field. It offers an exceptionally thorough and comprehensive methodological and philosophical exploration encountered in those diverse fields. Nagel's discussion is distinguished by the lucidity of its style, the incisiveness of its reasoning, and the solidity of its grounding in all the major branches of scientific inquiry. The Structure of Science has become a highly influential work that is widely invoked in the methodological and philosophical literature. Recent controversies between analytics and historic-sociological approaches to the philosophy of science have not diminished its significance; in fact, it seems to me that the pragmatist component in Nagel's thinking may be helpful for efforts to develop a rapprochement between the contending schools. --Carl G. Hempel

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Book SynopsisThis volume of the definitive edition of Charles Darwin's letters provides texts of more than 700 letters Darwin wrote and received in 1881. Darwin published The Formation of Vegetable Mould through the Action of Worms and reflected on reactions to his previous book, The Power of Movement in Plants.Table of ContentsList of Illustrations; List of Letters; Introduction; Acknowledgments; List of Provenances; Note on Editorial Policy; Darwin/Wedgwood Genealogy; Abbreviations and Symbols; The Correspondence; Appendixes: I. Translations; II. Chronology; III. Diplomas; IV. Presentation List for Earthworms; V. Reviews of Earthworms; Manuscript Alterations and Comments; Biographical Register and Index to Correspondents; Bibliography; Notes on Manuscript Sources; Index.

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Book SynopsisFollowing a long-term international collaboration between leaders in cosmology and the philosophy of science, this volume addresses foundational questions at the limit of science across these disciplines, questions raised by observational and theoretical progress in modern cosmology. Space missions have mapped the Universe up to its early instants, opening up questions on what came before the Big Bang, the nature of space and time, and the quantum origin of the Universe. As the foundational volume of an emerging academic discipline, experts from relevant fields lay out the fundamental problems of contemporary cosmology and explore the routes toward finding possible solutions. Written for graduates and researchers in physics and philosophy, particular efforts are made to inform academics from other fields, as well as the educated public, who wish to understand our modern vision of the Universe, related philosophical questions, and the significant impacts on scientific methodology.Trade Review'The editors of this volume boldly announce that this collection of essays by an international group of philosophers and physicists 'marks a beginning' of 'a body of philosophical literature engaged with contemporary cosmology …' Currently, cosmology is at the pinnacle of innovation; its rapid development requires engagement from physicists and philosophers of physics on foundational issues. What is speculative or meta-cosmology today, soon becomes the cosmology of tomorrow as theory struggles to keep up with discovery. Thus, the book begins with a section entitled 'Issues in the Philosophy of Cosmology' and proceeds to delve further into more specialized topics in cosmological structures, gravity, quantum foundations, and 'methodological and philosophical issues'. It should be noted that the quality of the volume's essays varies, as well as the level of technical difficulty; some chapters are remarkably lucid while others are comprehensible only to specialists.' L. B. McHenry, Choice'This volume, based on a series of workshops and a conference, brings together contributions by cosmologists and philosophers. … many readers will probably use certain chapters as jumping-off points for deeper study, helped by the copious references. At the same time, the chapters are long enough to provide more than a cursory introduction to the topic at hand. Despite the fact that - or perhaps because - cosmology is now a mainly data-driven science, the philosophy of cosmology has become an active but not yet mature field; this book provides a good introduction.' Phillip Helbig, The Observatory'What is remarkable about this collection of chapters is that it offers a dialogue between two scientific communities, cosmologists/high energy physicists and philosophers of science, that unfortunately do not usually interact enough with each other. … It is not possible to do justice to the number of interesting ideas and proposals presented in this very rich book in a short review. … In summary, this book presents a collection of chapters written by some of the foremost experts in their respective fields. The most interesting of these chapters are those written by scientists who truly tried to build a bridge between philosophy of science and cosmology. Overall, this book is well worth reading as it contains many fascinating perspectives and ideas presented in a very accessible manner for the different communities involved in this project.' Xavier Calmet, Springer NatureTable of ContentsPart I. Issues in the Philosophy of Cosmology: 1. The domain of cosmology and the testing of cosmological theories George F. R. Ellis; 2. Black holes, cosmology and the passage of time: three problems at the limits of science Bernard Carr; 3. Moving boundaries? – comments on the relationship between philosophy and cosmology Claus Beisbart; 4. On the question why there exists something rather than nothing Roderich Tumulka; Part II. Structures in the Universe and the Structure of Modern Cosmology: 5. Some generalities about generality John D. Barrow; 6. Emergent structures of effective field theories Jean-Philippe Uzan; 7. Cosmological structure formation Joel R. Primack; 8. Formation of galaxies Joseph Silk; Part III. Foundations of Cosmology: Gravity and the Quantum: 9. The observer strikes back James Hartle and Thomas Hertog; 10. Testing inflation Chris Smeenk; 11. Why Boltzmann brains do not fluctuate into existence from the de Sitter vacuum Kimberly K. Boddy, Sean M. Carroll and Jason Pollack; 12. Holographic inflation revised Tom Banks; 13. Progress and gravity: overcoming divisions between general relativity and particle physics and between physics and HPS J. Brian Pitts; Part IV. Quantum Foundations and Quantum Gravity: 14. Is time's arrow perspectival? Carlo Rovelli; 15. Relational quantum cosmology Francesca Vidotto; 16. Cosmological ontology and epistemology Don N. Page; 17. Quantum origin of cosmological structure and dynamical reduction theories Daniel Sudarsky; 18. Towards a novel approach to semi-classical gravity Ward Struyve; Part V. Methodological and Philosophical Issues: 19. Limits of time in cosmology Svend E. Rugh and Henrik Zinkernagel; 20. Self-locating priors and cosmological measures Cian Dorr and Frank Arntzenius; 21. On probability and cosmology: inference beyond data? Martin Sahlén; 22. Testing the multiverse: Bayes, fine-tuning and typicality Luke A. Barnes; 23. A new perspective on Einstein's philosophy of cosmology Cormac O'Raifeartaigh; 24. The nature of the past hypothesis David Wallace; 25. Big and small David Albert.

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Book SynopsisCarnap, Quine, and Putnam held that in our pursuit of truth we can do no better than to start in the middle, relying on already-established beliefs and inferences and applying our best methods for re-evaluating particular beliefs and inferences and arriving at new ones. In this collection of essays, Gary Ebbs interprets these thinkers'' methodological views in the light of their own philosophical commitments, and in the process refutes some widespread misunderstandings of their views, reveals the real strengths of their arguments, and exposes a number of problems that they face. To solve these problems, in many of the essays Ebbs also develops new philosophical approaches, including new theories of logical truth, language use, reference and truth, truth by convention, realism, trans-theoretical terms, agreement and disagreement, radical belief revision, and contextually a priori statements. His essays will be valuable for a wide range of readers in analytic philosophy.Trade Review'Ebbs' volume … is an important publication from both an historical and a systematic point of view. It offers a new perspective on the relation between Carnap, Quine, and Putnam, as well as a substantive contribution to ongoing systematic debates about truth, justification, and language use. As such, it will be of interest and value not only to historians of analytic philosophy, but also to all philosophers who believe that Carnap's, Quine's, and Putnam's most fundamental insights deserve continuous discussion and adaptation.' Notre Dame Philosophical ReviewsTable of ContentsPart I. Carnap: 1. Carnap's logical syntax; 2. Carnap on ontology; Part II. Carnap and Quine: 3. Carnap and Quine on truth by convention; 4. Quine's naturalistic explication of Carnap's logic of science; Part III. Quine: 5. Quine gets the last word; 6. Reading Quine's claim that definitional abbreviations create synonymies; 7. Can logical truth be defined in purely extensional terms?; 8. Reading Quine's claim that no statement is immune to revision; Part IV. Quine and Putnam: 9. Conditionalization and conceptual change: Chalmers in defense of a dogma; 10. Truth and trans-theoretical terms; Part V. Putnam: 11. Putnam and the contextually apriori.

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Book SynopsisThis volume is part of the definitive edition of letters written by and to Charles Darwin, the most celebrated naturalist of the nineteenth century. Notes and appendixes put these fascinating and wide-ranging letters in context, making the letters accessible to both scholars and general readers. Darwin depended on correspondence to collect data from all over the world, and to discuss his emerging ideas with scientific colleagues, many of whom he never met in person. The letters are published chronologically: volume 24 includes letters from 1876, the year in which Darwin published Cross and Self Fertilisation in the Vegetable Kingdom, and started writing Forms of Flowers. In 1876, Darwin''s daughter-in-law, Amy, died shortly after giving birth to a son, Bernard Darwin, an event that devastated the family. The volume includes a supplement of 182 letters from earlier years, including a newly discovered collection of letters from William Darwin, Darwin''s eldest son.Table of ContentsList of illustrations; List of letters; Introduction; Acknowledgments; List of provenances; Note on editorial policy; Darwin/Wedgwood genealogy; Abbreviations and symbols; The correspondence; Appendix I. Translations; Appendix II. Chronology; Appendix III. Presentation lists for Variation, 2nd edition, Cross and Self Fertilisation, and Geological Observations, 2nd edition; Appendix IV. Reviews of Cross and Self Fertilisation; Appendix V. Letters regarding the HMS Challenger specimens; Manuscript alterations and comments; Biographical register and index to correspondents; Bibliography; Notes on manuscript sources; Index.

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Book SynopsisThis book provides a unique introduction to the study of relationships between gender and biology, a core part of the feminist science research tradition which emerged nearly half a century ago. Lynn Hankinson Nelson presents an accessible and balanced discussion of research questions, background assumptions, methods, and hypotheses about biology and gender with which feminist scientists and science scholars critically and constructively engage. Writing from the perspective of contemporary philosophy of science, she examines the evidence for and ethical implications of biological hypotheses about gender, and discusses relevant philosophical issues including understandings of scientific objectivity, the nature of scientific reasoning, and relationships between biological research and the scientific and social contexts in which it is pursued. Clear and comprehensive, this volume addresses the engagements of feminist scientists and science scholars with a range of disciplines, including dTrade Review'The book is written and structured in a way that makes it accessible to both students and researchers looking to familiarize themselves with the philosophy and history of feminist engagement with biology. It is also a great read for any feminist scientists, philosophers of science, or science studies scholars who, although maybe familiar with this area of study, are nonetheless looking for an engaging refresher.' Sara Weaver, History and Philosophy of the Life Sciences'… offers an important outline of key philosophical issues threading through biology's concerns with gender, as well as feminist critiques.' Lynda Birke, A Journal of Feminist Philosophy'This text is suitable for classroom use because it gives a clear demonstration of the methods of philosophy of science, providing organized coverage of fundamental topics while vividly showing that legitimate critiques of logical reasoning in science are informed by social and political understanding.' Evelyn Brister, MetascienceTable of ContentsList of figures; Acknowledgements; Preface; 1. Conceptual preliminaries; 2. Sexual selection: Darwin; 3. Sexual selection: parental investment theory and human sociobiology; 4. Primatology; 5. Developmental biology; 6. Medicine; 7. Neurobiology; 8. Evolutionary psychology; 9. Socially responsible science and socially relevant philosophy of science; Bibliography; Index.

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Book SynopsisThe book provides a balanced and up to date contribution to the realism/anti-realism debate in philosophy of science. It reviews the evidence for and against realism and anti-realism, including evidence from the history of science, and various logical considerations.Trade Review'With its insightful and engaging critique Resisting Scientific Realism takes on every argument that scientific realists have offered, but does much more than that. What emerges along the way is a strengthened anti-realism skillfully aligned with epistemic modesty about the continuing historical development of the sciences. It will be a delightful and rewarding read for realists and anti-realists alike.' Bas Van Fraassen, Princeton University, New Jersey'Resisting Scientific Realism is a wonderfully rich, impressively clear, and meticulously argued, thought-provoking book … it is required reading for anyone interested in the contemporary development of the scientific realism debate in the philosophy of science literature.' Philosophia'Resisting Scientific Realism exhibits excellent scholarship and philosophical creativity. It is a valuable contribution to the literature on scientific anti-realism, containing important arguments with which realists must contend, and directing the scientific realism debate towards exciting new (or unfairly neglected) topics. The writing is admirably clear and elegant. If you are interested in scientific anti-realism or scientific theory change, you should read this book.' British Journal for the Philosophy of Science'It is essential reading for those interested in the classic arguments in the realism debate.' Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews'… it offers various intertwined strands of argument with the aim of persuading the reader that realism faces significant challenges, and hence, anti-realism cannot be so easily dismissed as is typically thought.' Steven French, Metascience'Wray's book Resisting Scientific Realism is a welcome addition to the philosophy of science literature. It joins just a handful of book-length discussions of the realism debate in the past 20 years. I expect that anybody interested in the realism debate, or the relationship between science and truth more generally, would profit from reading it.' Peter Vickers, Metascience'Brad Wray's Resisting Scientific Realism is precisely what the title suggests: an attempt to resist scientific realism, and in particular an attempt to resist the realist ways to reconcile the two foregoing facts … I should add without any hesitation that Brad Wray has written an admirable book, full of insightful argument and constructive criticism.' Stathis Psillos, Metascience'K. Brad Wray's Resisting Scientific Realism offers a spirited and engaging attack on scientific realism that includes new historical examples, useful engagement with familiar examples and arguments, and some novel arguments of its own. It aspires both to present a comprehensive survey of the arguments against scientific realism and to challenge the influential realist argument that the approximate truth of our best scientific theories offers the best or only explanation for the success of those theories.' P. Kyle Stanford, Metascience'Resisting Scientific Realism is a wonderfully rich, impressively clear, and meticulously argued, thought-provoking book. It is well-balanced in its exposition of case studies from the history of science, discussion of the relevant history of philosophy of science, and engagement with the realism vs. anti-realism debate in the philosophy of science literature.' Elay Shech, PhilosophiaTable of ContentsIntroduction; Part I. Against Realism: 1. The Copernican Revolution in astronomy; 2. The underdetermination of theory choice by evidence; 3. The argument from underconsideration; 4. Epistemic privilege: another realist dogma; 5. Four pessimistic inductions; 6. Pessimism, optimism, and the exponential growth of science; 7. The nature of radical theory change; 8. Do the theoretical values really support scientific realism?; Part II. Strengthening Anti-Realism: 9. But can the anti-realist explain the success of science?; 10. Selection and predictive success; 11. How are false theories able to make true predictions?; 12. Discarded theories: the role of changing interests; 13. A synthesis.

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Book SynopsisWhat are the features of a good scientific theory? Samuel Schindler''s book revisits this classical question in the philosophy of science and develops new answers to it. Theoretical virtues matter not only for choosing theories ''to work with'', but also for what we are justified in believing: only if the theories we possess are good ones (qua virtues) can we be confident that our theories'' claims about nature are actually correct. Recent debates have focussed rather narrowly on a theory''s capacity to predict new phenomena successfully, but Schindler argues that the justification for this focus is thin. He discusses several other theory properties such as testability, accuracy, and consistency, and highlights the importance of simplicity and coherence. Using detailed historical case studies and careful philosophical analysis, Schindler challenges the received view of theoretical virtues and advances arguments for the view that science uncovers reality through theory.Trade Review'In this ambitious book Samuel Schindler mounts a sustained defence of scientific realism, challenging the most important antirealist arguments with a comprehensive and multi-layered appeal to theoretical virtues. His advocacy for the general truth-conduciveness of these virtues, rejecting the lure of predictivism, is both balanced and persuasive.' Hasok Chang, University of Cambridge'Steeped in the history of science and bursting with examples, this book turns a spotlight on the 'theoretical virtues' and their role in determining what the natural sciences reveal about our world. Fearlessly contesting received views of the import of novel predictions and the nature of ad hoc hypotheses, Schindler shows by example how general philosophy of science, and the history and philosophy of science, are indispensable to an understanding of scientific knowledge.' Anjan Chakravartty, University of Notre Dame, Indiana'The book is clearly written, well-informed about both philosophy and history of science, and makes numerous incisive points. I would recommend this as an excellent guide to the literature, due to its clear overarching narrative thread, and the fact that Schindler is not afraid to point out various oddities and sources of confusion in the literature.' Darren Bradley, MetascienceTable of ContentsIntroduction; 1. Theoretical virtues, truth, and the argument from simplicity; 2. Pessimism, base rates, and the no-virtue-coincidence argument; 3. Novel success and predictivism; 4. Theoretical fertility without novel success; 5. Ad hoc hypotheses and the argument from coherence; 6. Virtues as confidence boosters and the argument from choice; 7. Philosophy of science by historical means; Conclusion.

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Book SynopsisThe IAU Centenary Symposium was held at its General Assembly in Vienna in 2018. It starts with plenary lectures, by Malcolm Longair on 100 years of astronomy, astrophysics and cosmology, and by Catherine Cesarsky, who reflects on a century of IAU history. There follows reminiscences from past IAU presidents and general secretaries and presentations on various aspects of IAU history, including some of the famous astronomers who served the Union. The volume then examines the relations between the IAU and different geographical regions, including the issues relating to the Central Powers after World War I, and the ''China crisis'', when China withdrew from the Union in 1960 and was absent for two decades. The IAU''s internal structures and organization are reviewed, along with trends in astronomical publishing and astronomical education. IAU S349 finishes with a vision of the IAU''s future from its current president, Ewine van Dishoeck.Trade Review'… its own history occupied one plenary session … and one symposium, though scraps of history wormed their way into a supernova session and elsewhere …' Virginia Trimble, The Observatory Magazine'Under One Sky is primarily a publication celebrating the centenary of the IAU and only secondarily a serious contribution to the organizational history of the astronomical sciences. On the other hand, it includes a wealth of biographical and other information as well as several chapters that will be of interest to historians of modern astronomy.' Helge Kragh, Journal for the History of AstronomyTable of ContentsPart I. Centenary Celebration Session. 1. 100 years of astronomy, astrophysics and cosmology M. Longair; 2. Reflections on 100 years of IAU C. Cesarsky; Part II. Reminiscences from Past IAU Presidents; Part II. Reminiscences from Past IAU Presidents; Part III. Reminiscences from Past IAU General Secretaries; Part IV. The IAU and its History; Part V. The IAU and its Relation to Diverse Geographical Regions of the World; Part VI. IAU Structures and Organization; Part VII. Astronomical Publishing; Part VIII. The International School for Young Astronomers; Education and Outreach; Part IX. Some Miscellaneous Topics in Astronomical History; Part X. The IAU in the Future.

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Book SynopsisProvides a philosophical and historical critique of contemporary conceptions of physicalism, especially non-reductive, levels-based approaches to physicalist metaphysics. Challenging assumptions about the mind-body problem, this accessible book will interest scholars working in metaphysics, philosophy of mind, and philosophy of science.Trade ReviewAdvance praise: 'Physicalism Deconstructed is a beautifully clear and readable book that throws down the gauntlet for physicalists to accept the consequences of their core commitments. Kevin Morris advances an unexpectedly persuasive argument that the world according to physics really is all the world. This challenge to the layer cake view of reality cannot be ignored.' Thomas Polger, University of CincinnatiTable of ContentsIntroduction; 1. Supervenience and non-reductive physicalism; 2. Non-reductive physicalism and the exclusion problem; 3. Functional realization; 4. Subset realization; 5. Grounding and physicalism; 6. The rise of non-reductive physicalism; 7. The physicalist problematic reconsidered; Conclusion.

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Book SynopsisThis book, geared toward academic researchers and graduate students, brings together research on all facets of how time and causality relate across the sciences. Time is fundamental to how we perceive and reason about causes. It lets us immediately rule out the sound of a car crash as its cause. That a cause happens before its effect has been a core, and often unquestioned, part of how we describe causality. Research across disciplines shows that the relationship is much more complex than that. This book explores what that means for both the metaphysics and epistemology of causes - what they are and how we can find them. Across psychology, biology, and the social sciences, common themes emerge, suggesting that time plays a critical role in our understanding. The increasing availability of large time series datasets allows us to ask new questions about causality, necessitating new methods for modeling dynamic systems and incorporating mechanistic information into causal models.Trade Review'Understanding the causal relations that make the world go round would be so much easier if mechanisms didn't operate over time, or at least if they operated at a single time scale. But mechanisms do unfold over multiple time scales, making not only inferences about causality tricky, but the very definition of causality the most slippery of conceptual issues. This book unpacks all this at the cutting edge of philosophy and science. It even addresses what may be the heart of the problem: how people understand causality and its counterpart, time.' Steven Sloman, Brown University, Rhode Island'A very useful collection on a fascinating topic. The connection between time and causation seems as obvious in science as in everyday life, yet turns out to be deeply puzzling, as soon as we dig below the surface. The essays collected here offer an excellent and accessible introduction to the issues, from an impressively interdisciplinary range of perspectives.' Huw Price, University of Cambridge'The volume encompasses a wide range of discussions on both metaphysical and epistemological approaches, and chapter authors look at issues across the sciences including physics, biochemistry, psychology, and sociology. Readers will undoubtedly agree that most researchers, including philosophers, who are concerned about causality would benefit from considering how their own approach compares with those of other disciplines … the material will be accessible to anyone within the respective sciences. The chapters are well written throughout, each with a good reference list.' E. Kincanon, ChoiceTable of Contents1. An introduction to time and causality Samantha Kleinberg; 2. Causality and time: an introductory typology Bert Leuridan and Thomas Lodewyck; 3. The direction of causation Phil Dowe; 4. On the causal nature of time Victor Gijsbers; 5. Causation in a physical world: an overview of our emerging understanding Jenann Ismael; 6. Intervening in time Neil R. Bramely; 7. Time-event relationships as representations for constructing cell mechanisms Yin Chung Au; 8. Causation, time asymmetry, and causal mechanisms in the social sciences Inge de Bal and Erik Weber; 9. Temporalization in causal modeling Jonathan Livengood and Karen R. Zwier; 10. Reintroducing dynamics into static causal models Naftali Weinberger; 11. Overcoming the poverty of mechanisms in causal models David Jensen.

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Book SynopsisThe conceptualization of the vital force of living beings as a kind of breath and heat is at least as old as Homer. The assumptions that life and living things were somehow causally related to ''heat'' and ''breath'' (pneuma) would go on to inform much of ancient medicine and philosophy. This is the first volume to consider the relationship of the notions of heat, breath (pneuma), and soul in ancient Greek philosophy and science from the Presocratics to Aristotle. Bringing together specialists both on early Greek philosophy and on Aristotle, it brings an approach drawn from the history of science to the study of both fields. The chapters give fresh and detailed interpretations of the theory of soul in Heraclitus, Empedocles, Parmenides, Diogenes of Appolonia, and Democritus, as well as in the Hippocratic Corpus, Plato''s Timaeus, and various works of Aristotle.Trade Review'Ultimately, the volume makes a fine case for a collection of essays examining heat, pneuma, and soul through Aristotle, and it ably advances the scholarly discussion on them.' Rhodes Pinto, Stanford UniversityTable of ContentsIntroduction. Ancient philosophy and science at the crossroads of metaphysics and medicine Colin Guthrie King; Heat, pneuma and soul in the medical tradition Hynek Bartoš; Part I. Early Greek Philosophy and Medicine: 1. Fire, heat and motive force in early Greek philosophy and medicine Gábor Betegh; 2. Parmenides on the soul Shaul Tor; 3. The spirit in the flesh: Empedocles on embodied soul Simon Trépanier; 4. Out of thin air? Diogenes on causal explanation Bryan C. Reece; 5. Soul, life and nutrition in the Timaeus Thomas K. Johansen; 6. De spiritu on heat and its roles in the formation, composition and activities of animals Orly Lewis; Part II. Aristotle: 7. Heat, meteorology and spontaneous generation Malcolm Wilson; 8. Aristotle on 'the nature in the pneuma' and the first body Karel Thein; 9. Aristotle on the powers of thermic equilibrium Tiberiu Popa; 10. Why animals must keep their cool: Aristotle on the need for respiration (and other forms of cooling) James G. Lennox; 11. Soul's tools Jessica Gelber; 12. When life imitates art: vital locomotion and Aristotle's craft analogy Patricio Fernandez and Jorgé Mittelmann; 13. Blood, πνεῦμα, or something more solid? Aristotle on the material structure of perceptual apparatus Robert Roreitner; 14. The pathological role of pneuma in Aristotle Patrick Macfarlane.

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Book SynopsisBiological anthropology is a diverse field, with countless research methods and techniques in different sub-disciplines. This book takes a critical perspective to the current state of the field, exploring theory and practice in paleoanthropology, bioarchaeology, and ecology. Contributors challenge how evidence is discovered, collected and interpreted, and explain that researchers gain insights by de-familiarizing themselves from well-known methods and taking a different perspective - ''making the familiar strange''. The book covers how researchers'' biases and assumptions affect the interpretation of topics such as human evolution and population movements; race, health, and disability; bodies and embodiment; and landscapes and ecology. A final chapter includes a critical assessment of new thinking about technology, in addition to the multilayered and complex nature of both research questions and evidence. This is an insightful text for researchers and graduate students in anthropology,Trade Review'This edited volume critically examines how practitioners of biological anthropology apply methods, interpret evidence, and produce established knowledge … The opening five chapters are dedicated to theoretical and philosophical issues. Some themes have been discussed for decades, such as how women are portrayed in evolution and how popular science mischaracterizes human evolution, while others are newly emerging, such as the question of why insects are not eaten more widely on a global scale. The last five chapters present new approaches to data analysis and methods. These include contributions on disability and care in paleopathology, the osteological paradox in bioarchaeology, the incompleteness of fossil evidence, and the application of stable isotope studies for interpreting past environments.' T. Harrison, ChoiceTable of ContentsIntroduction: (re)discovery of the strange and the familiar: theory and methods for a twenty-first-century biological anthropology Sang-Hee Lee and Cathy Willermet; Part I. The Strange and Familiar: New Landscapes and Theoretical Approaches: 1. Women in human evolution redux Dänae G. Khorasani and Sang-Hee Lee; 2. Hegemony and the Central Asian Paleolithic record: perspectives on Pleistocene landscapes and morphological mosaicism Michelle M. Glantz; 3. Anthropology now: how popular science (mis)characterizes human evolution Marc Kissel; 4. The strangeness of not eating insects: the loss of an important food source in the United States Julie J. Lesnik; 5. Methods without meaning: moving beyond body counts in research on behavior and health Robin G. Nelson; Part II. (Re)discovery of Evidence: New Thinking About Data, Methods, and Fields: 6. (Re)discovering paleopathology: integrating individuals and populations in bioarchaeology Ann L. W. Stodder and Jennifer F. Byrnes; 7. Parsing the paradox: examining heterogeneous frailty in bioarchaeological assemblages Sharon N. DeWitte; 8. Seeing RED: a novel solution to a familiar categorical data problem Cathy Willermet, John Daniels, Heather J. H. Edgar and Joseph McKean; 9. Paleoanthropology and analytical bias: citation practices, analytical choice, and prioritizing quality over quantity Adam P. Van Arsdale; 10. (Re)discovering ancient hominin environments: how stable carbon isotopes of modern chimpanzee communities can inform paleoenvironment reconstruction Melanie M. Beasley and Margaret J. Schoeninger; Discussion and conclusion: move forward, critically Cathy Willermet and Sang-Hee Lee.

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Book SynopsisIs the universe fine-tuned for complexity, life, or something else? This comprehensive overview of fine-tuning arguments in physics, with contributions from leading researchers in their fields, sheds light on this often used but seldom understood topic. Each chapter reviews a specific subject in modern physics, such as dark energy, inflation, or solar system formation, and discusses whether any parameters in our current theories appear to be fine-tuned and, if so, to what degree. Connections and differences between these fine-tuning arguments are made clear, and detailed mathematical derivations of various fine-tuned parameters are given. This accessible yet precise introduction to fine-tuning in physics will aid students and researchers across astrophysics, atomic and particle physics and cosmology, as well as all those working at the intersections of physics and philosophy.Trade Review'… the questions posed here are of strong interest to many … Recommended' C. Palma, ChoiceTable of ContentsPart I. Introduction: 1. Fine-Tuning, Complexity, and Life in the Multiverse Mario Livio and Martin Rees; 2. Hierarchy of Fine-Structure Constants Bernard Carr; Part II. Cosmological Fine-Tunings: 3. Naturalness, fine-tuning, and observer selection in cosmology John A. Peacock; 4. Cosmic Inflation: Trick or Treat? Jerome Martin; 5. Is the Universal Matter- Anti-matter Asymmetry Fine tuned? Gary Steigman and Robert J. Scherrer; 6. Structure Formation Adrianne Slyz; Part III. Fine-tuning in Particle and Nuclear Physics: 7. Nuclear physics and its impact on primordial and stellar nucleosynthesis Jean-Philippe Uzan; 8. Fine-Tunings at Particle Scales Giulia Zanderighi; 9. Dark Matter Edward W. Kolb; Part IV. Fine-tuning for life: 10. Fine-tuning: from stars to galaxies formation Joseph Silk; 11. How Special Is the Solar System? Mario Livio; 12. On the Temporal Habitability of Our Universe; 13. Climbing up the theories of Nature: Fine-Tuning and Biological Molecules Abraham Loeb.

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Book SynopsisLevels of Analysis in Psychopathology draws research from psychiatry, philosophy, and psychology to explore the variety of explanatory approaches for understanding the nature of psychiatric disorders both in practice and research. The fields of psychiatry and clinical psychology incorporates many useful explanatory approaches and this book integrates this range of perspectives and makes suggestions about how to advance etiologic theories, classification, and treatment. The editors have brought together leading thinkers who have been widely published and are well-respected in their area of expertise, including several developers of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders and authors of the US National Institute of Mental Health''s Research Domain Criteria Project (RDoC). Each main chapter has a commentary provided by one of the other authors and an introduction written by one of the editors to create an accessible, interdisciplinary dialog.Trade Review'The editors continue to deepen the analysis of the conceptual basis of psychopathological science through their astutely-framed, thematic book. They have assembled a diverse and expert group of contributors in considering the range of sciences relevant to psychopathology. This volume offers an outstanding pedagogy, including introductory overviews, and insightfully-chosen commentaries throughout.' John Z. Sadler, The Daniel W. Foster Professor of Medical Ethics and Distinguished Teaching Professor, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center'This excellent book combines substantive expertise with philosophical and methodological insights to provide high-level perspectives on essential topics in psychiatry. The editors focus on a topic of central importance: the complicated relation between the biological, psychological, and social levels of analysis that are required for a full understanding of mental disorders.' Denny Borsboom, University of Amsterdam'The editors have assembled a wide range of chapters from multiple disciplines, encompassing Anglo-American and European Continental philosophies, to integrate research and clinical perspectives. No matter how well-versed a reader may be on the topic, with the breadth of expertise represented in the volume, they will learn something new.' Derek Bolton, King's College London, and Honorary Consultant Clinical Psychologist, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust's Child and Adolescent Anxiety Service'This is a state-of-the-art conversation between leading psychiatrists and philosophers about the challenges and possibilities of explaining psychiatric disorders across multiple levels.' Carl F. Craver, Washington University, St LouisTable of ContentsIntroduction; Part I. Neuroscience, Mechanisms and RDoC: 1. Introduction Peter Zachar; 2. Rethinking psychiatric disorders in terms of heterarchical networks of control mechanisms William Bechtel; 3. A typology of levels of mechanisms involved in the etiology of psychiatric illness Kenneth S. Kendler; 4. Introduction Kenneth S. Kendler; 5. Wrangling the matrix: lessons from the RDoC working memory domain Robert M. Bilder; 6. Brain and mind in psychiatry? Presuppositions of cognitive ontology Georg Northoff; 7. Introduction Kenneth S. Kendler; 8. Tackling hard problems: neuroscience, treatment, and anxiety Daniel S. Pine; 9. Comments on Daniel S. Pine Kenneth F. Schaffner; Part II. Phenomenology, Biological Psychology, and the Mind-Body Problem: 10. Introduction Josef Parnas; 11. Body self-awareness: multiple levels or dynamical gestalt? Shaun Gallagher; 12. Commentary on Gallagher 'Body self-awareness: multiple levels or dynamical gestalt?' Jan-Willem Romeijn; 13. Introduction Josef Parnas; 14. Can psychiatry dispense with appeal to mental causation? John Campbell; 15. Folk psychology and Jaspers' empathic understanding: a conceptual exercise? Peter Zachar; 16. Introduction Peter Zachar; 17. Phenomenology of a disordered self in schizophrenia: example of an integrative level for psychiatric research Josef Parnas and Maja Zanderson; 18. Who is the psychiatric subject? Shaun Gallagher; 19. Introduction Kenneth S. Kendler; 20. Challenges in the relationships between psychological and biological phenomena in psychopathology Gregory A. Miller and Morgan E. Bartholomew; 21. Non-reductionism, eliminativism, and modularity in RDoC: thoughts about a progressive mechanistic science Peter Zachar; Part III. Taxonomy, Integration and Multiple Levels of Explanation: 22. Introduction Josef Parnas; 23. Descriptive psychopathology: a manifest level of analysis, or not? Peter Zachar; 24. Psychiatry without description Josef Parnas; 25. Introduction Peter Zachar; 26. Should psychiatry be precise? Reduction, big data, and nosological revision in mental health research Kathryn Tabb; 27. Commentary on should psychiatry be precise? Reduction, big data, and nosological revision in mental health research Robert M. Bilder; 28. Introduction Peter Zachar; 29. Psychiatric classification: an a-reductionist perspective Jan-Willem Romeijn and Hanna van Loo; 30. Double black diamond Eric Turkheimer; 31. Introduction Peter Zachar; 32. Approaches to multi-level models of fear: the what, where, why, how, and how much? Kenneth F. Schaffner; 33. Schaffner on levels and selves William Bechtel; 34. Introduction Kenneth S. Kendler; 35. Levels: what are they and what are they good for? James Woodward; 36. Levels of analysis in Alzheimer's disease research Stephan Heckers; 37. Introduction Peter Zachar; 38. The impact of faculty psychology and theories of psychological causation on the origins of modern psychiatric nosology Kenneth S. Kendler; 39. Commentary on 'The impact of faculty psychology and theories of psychological causation on the origins of modern psychiatric nosology' Gregory A. Miller; 40. Introduction Kenneth S. Kendler; 41. Psychiatric discourse: scientific reductionism for the autonomous person Stephan Heckers; 42. Comment on Stephan Heckers, 'Psychiatric discourse: scientific reductionism for the autonomous person' John Campbell; 43. Introduction Josef Parnas; 44. Entity focus: applied genetic science at different levels Eric Turkheimer; 45. Comment on 'Entity focus: applied genetic science at different levels' by Eric Turkheimer Kathryn Tabb.

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Book SynopsisThis book will be of interest to college faculty and advanced students interested in the relationship between religion and science, particularly at Christian colleges and seminaries. Its value is to offer an innovative Christian theological approach to the daunting problem that Darwinian animal suffering poses to belief in God.Table of Contents1. Facing the Darwinian problem of evil; 2. Darwinian evil and anti-theistic arguments; 3. Ways around the problem: Neo-Cartesian theory and skeptical theism; 4. Making a 'case for God' (a Causa Dei); 5. Animal suffering and the fall: Lapsarian theodicy; 6. Narrow is the way of world making: only way theodicy; 7. God-justifying beauty: aesthetic theodicy; 8. Suffering 'for no reason': job and the Darwinian problem; 9. Darwinian Kenōsis and 'divine selection'; 10. Animals in heaven: the defeat of Darwinian evils.

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Book SynopsisThe De incessu animalium forms an integral part of Aristotle''s biological corpus but is one of the least studied Aristotelian works both by ancient and modern interpreters. Yet it is a treatise where we can see, with some clarity and detail, Aristotle''s methodology at work. This volume contains a new critical edition of the Greek text, an English translation, and nine in-depth interpretative essays. A general introduction that focuses on the explanatory strategies adopted by Aristotle in the De incessu animalium plus a historical essay on the reception of this work in antiquity and beyond open the volume. No other work of this kind has been published in any modern language.Table of ContentsPart I. Introduction: 1. Explanatory Strategies in the De incessu animalium Andrea Falcon; 2. The Reception of the De incessu animalium Andrea Falcon; Part II. Greek Text and Translation: Part III. Interpretative Essays: 3. De incessu animalium 1–3: The Theoretical Framework and the Beginning of the Actual Investigation Andrea Falcon; 4. De incessu animalium 4: Aristotle's Conception of Dimension Panos Dimas; 5. De incessu animalium 5–6: The Architecture of Locomotive Bodies Klaus Corcilius; 6. De incessu animalium 7–8: Number and Distribution of Feet in Animal Progression Stasinos Stavrianeas; 7. De incessu animalium 9: Aristotle's Mathematical Kinesiology: The Case of Bending Christopher Frey; 8. De incessu animalium 10–11: Flight and Two-Footedness Timothy Clarke; 9. De incessu animalium 12–13: Limb-Bending and Natural Teleology Spyridon Rangos; 10. De incessu animalium 14–15: Teleology Across Kinds Sarah Ruth Jansen; 11. De incessu animalium 16–19: The Motion of Many-Footed Animals and Cases of Peculiar Motion in Water Pantelis Golitsis.

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Book SynopsisSets are central to mathematics and its foundations, but what are they? In this book Luca Incurvati provides a detailed examination of all the major conceptions of set and discusses their virtues and shortcomings, as well as introducing the fundamentals of the alternative set theories with which these conceptions are associated. He shows that the conceptual landscape includes not only the naïve and iterative conceptions but also the limitation of size conception, the definite conception, the stratified conception and the graph conception. In addition, hepresents a novel, minimalist account of the iterative conception which does not require the existence of a relation of metaphysical dependence between a set and its members. His book will be of interest to researchers and advanced students in logic and the philosophy of mathematics.Trade Review'Incurvati provides a veritable handbook for researchers and practitioners in the domain of logic and the foundations of mathematics … Each chapter raises significant foundational questions, fertile ground for further research.' R. L. Pour, ChoiceTable of Contents1. Concepts and conceptions; 2. The iterative conception; 3. Challenges to the iterative conception; 4. The naïve conception; 5. The limitation of size conception; 6. The stratified conception; 7. The graph conception.

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Book SynopsisWhy do the best-known examples of evolutionary change involve the alteration of one kind of animal into another very similar one, like the evolution of a bigger beak in a bird? Wouldn''t it be much more interesting to understand how beaks originated? Most people would agree, but until recently we didn''t know much about such origins. That is now changing, with the growth of the interdisciplinary field evo-devo, which deals with the relationship between how embryos develop in the short term and how they (and the adults they grow into) evolve in the long term. One of the key questions is: can the origins of structures such as beaks, eyes, and shells be explained within a Darwinian framework? The answer seems to be yes, but only by expanding that framework. This book discusses the required expansion, and the current state of play regarding our understanding of evolutionary and developmental origins.Trade Review'Wallace Arthur treats his readers to an eminently readable but still deeply rooted introduction into one of the most significant achievements of evolutionary biology: how evolutionary developmental biology put the organism back into the centre of evolutionary thinking.' Günter P. Wagner, Yale University, USA'Evo-devo deals with the multiple connections that exist between the biological processes of evolution and development. However, as an interface subject, there is a plurality of views on its content and its boundaries. In spite of that, Wallace Arthur has succeeded in writing an extremely clear and highly accessible guide to this fascinating, multifaceted discipline. Using the concept of 'developmental repatterning' as a common thread, the book provides a balanced view of evo-devo, covering its main achievements and future challenges. This is an ideal entry point for the non-specialist, but also a stimulating read for the practitioner who wants to consider her/his research in a wider perspective.' Giuseppe Fusco, University of Padova, Italy'Occasionally I feel that the field of Evolution and Development has lost its way, becoming submerged in myriad examples and details that don't expand our understanding of life. Wallace's book expounds the intellectual underpinnings of Evolution and Development, leads us through the key questions, and finally shows how the details and examples inform our future understanding. This book provides not just a guide to Evolution and Development, but also a spur to refocus and redouble our efforts to use development to help understand the evolution of life on Earth.' Peter Dearden, University of Otago, New ZealandTable of ContentsPreface; Acknowledgements; 1. What is evo-devo and why is it important?; 2. Antecedents of evo-devo; 3. Evolutionary and developmental essentials; 4. Evo-devo essentials; 5. The evolution of variations on a theme; 6. The evolutionary origins of themes and novelties; 7. The evolutionary origins of body plans; 8. Body plan features and toolkit genes; 9. Bringing it all together; Concluding remarks; Summary of common misunderstandings; References; Index.

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Book Synopsis''A dazzling chronicle, a bracing challenge to modernity''s smug assumptions'' - Bryce Christensen, Booklist''O what a world of profit and delightOf power, of honour and omnipotenceIs promised to the studious artisan.''Christopher Marlowe, Dr FaustusBetween the Renaissance and the Enlightenment, Europe changed out of all recognition. Particularly transformative was the ardent quest for knowledge and the astounding discoveries and inventions which resulted from it. The movement of blood round the body; the movement of the earth round the sun; the velocity of falling objects (and, indeed, why objects fall) - these and numerous other mysteries had been solved by scholars in earnest pursuit of scientia. This fascinating account of the profound changes undergone by Europe between the Renaissance and the Enlightenment will cover ground including folk religion and its pagan past; Catholicism and its saintly dogma; alchemy, astTrade ReviewA dazzling chronicle, a bracing challenge to modernity's smug assumptions -- Bryce Christensen * Booklist *Covers a lot of ground without being superficial . . . a rich and interesting book -- Kostas Kampourakis * Springer Nature *

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Book Synopsis'The most sheerly enjoyable history of science of recent years' The Spectator'This is one of the best science books I have read in a decade' Paul DaviesLife is Simple tells the remarkable story of how a thirteenth century monk's search for simplicity led to the emergence of the modern world.We begin in the turbulent times of the medieval friar, William of Occam, who first articulated the principle that the best answer to any problem is the simplest. This theory, known as Occam's razor, cut through the thickets of medieval metaphysics to clear a path for modern science. We follow the razor in the hands of the giants of science, from Copernicus, to Kepler, Galileo, Newton, Darwin, Einstein, Rubin and Higgs. Its success suggests that we live in the simplest possible habitable universe and supports the revolutionary theory that our cosmos has evolved.By highlighting the very human passion, curiosity, mistakes and struggles of those who were inspired by Occam's razor to create the modern world, Johnjoe McFadden provides new insight into what science is really about. And that the principle of simplicity is as relevant today as ever.Trade ReviewLIFE IS SIMPLE tells, in an entertaining and engaging way, the remarkable story of a simple idea that begins its epic journey 800 years ago with a medieval Franciscan friar and yet somehow still influences some of the most profound ideas in science today. -- Jim al-KhaliliOccam's razor, like Hobson's choice and Schrödinger's cat, is a phrase that's entered the language. We know more or less what it means without necessarily knowing anything about its inventor or realising the immense power it has as a philosophical and scientific principle. LIFE IS SIMPLE describes brilliantly the context in which William of Occam lived and worked, and the transforming effect that his simple-seeming doctrine has had on the development of our understanding of nature and the universe. -- Philip PullmanThe most sheerly enjoyable history of science of recent years -- Simon Ings, The SpectatorI read LIFE IS SIMPLE and found myself captured by the central premise: that science, though perceived as complicated, is actually the pursuit of simplicity. Johnjoe has created a fascinating book that weaves history, science and humanity together to illuminate what science really is - a topic that could not be more timely. The world is currently waking up to the complexities of science and its role in our world, and this book is an enlightening aid to that new understanding. -- Michael Brooks, physicist and science writerIn LIFE IS SIMPLE, geneticist Johnjoe McFadden offers a breezy but well-researched look at how the razor has inspired some of science's biggest ideas...his examples illustrate with persuasive power how 'simplicity continues to present us with the most profound, enigmatic and sometimes unsettling insights' into how the universe works -- Scientific AmericanLIFE IS SIMPLE is a history that takes you through many centuries of understanding the changing language and philosophy of science. I highly recommend you buy it -- Robin Ince, broadcaster and author of The Importance of Being Interested: Adventures in Scientific CuriosityWith flair and accessibility, McFadden walks readers through Occam's many intellectually revolutionary ideas...A dense, provocative, and satisfying foray into the history of science -- Kirkus ReviewsA compelling assessment of an idea many of us know but few deeply understand -- John Keogh, BooklistI learned a great deal from reading this book and I thought that the concept of simplicity as the main plot of the story worked well -- Bernard Lightman, Distinguished Research Professor, University of York, Canada. President History of Science Society and editor of Isis, the preeminent international History of Science journal.McFadden's love for William is hard to resist. If you are at all interested in the history of ideas, this is a fabulous read. Even after you've taken a few detours through other material to become better oriented in the controversy over what exactly he's good for, William plausibly still stands as a daring, original figure who deserves a place in the Pantheon, and McFadden has done a great service in bringing the whole William and his influence to wider attention. In short, Life is Simple is enthralling. -- Prospect MagazineCenturies ago, the principle of Ockham's razor changed our world by showing simpler answers to be preferable and more often true. In Life Is Simple, scientist Johnjoe McFadden traces centuries of discoveries, taking us from a geocentric cosmos to quantum mechanics and DNA, arguing that simplicity has revealed profound answers to the greatest mysteries . . . Recasting both the history of science and our universe's origins, McFadden transforms our understanding of ourselves and our world -- Irish Tech NewsA tour through two millennia of scientific discovery . . . interesting and illuminating -- Wall Street JournalFor all its technical triumphs, science does not take place in a cultural vacuum. McFadden's wonderful and thoroughly-researched account of the history of ideas reveals how simplicity as an overarching principle weaves through all the sciences, telling us something profound about the nature of reality. His vivid descriptions and clear exposition make the subject come alive, and resonate with significance. This is one of the best science books I have read in a decade. -- Paul Davies, Regents’ Professor of Physics at Arizona State University and author of What’s Eating the Universe?Like a talented stylist or editor, courageous scientists have identified what is redundant . . . and promptly scratched it out. McFadden's book brings this observation to life using two millennia of scientific advancement, never castigating those who were wrong, but instead highlighting how they helped to shape the correct answers that came later -- Caroline Delbert, Popular MechanicsMcFadden includes much interesting material drawn from Ockham and other historical sources. His evident enthusiasm is particularly welcome as this book is directed not only at fellow scientists but also at a wider readership -- Geoffrey Cantor, Times HigherJohnjoe McFadden's delightfully lucid book is itself a model of deceptive simplicity. The words glide off the page in this trenchant analysis of nature's complexities that brings fresh life to centuries of scientific discovery and also points the way towards a clearer future -- Patricia Fara, Emeritus Fellow of Clare College, Cambridge and award-winning author of Science: A Four Thousand Year HistoryThoroughly fascinating . . . Far from being a narrow specialist, [McFadden] has a firm grasp of the complexities of many branches of science . . . Breath-taking in its comprehensiveness and clarity -- Irish Times

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Book SynopsisThis book is about the already present supremacy of technology in the contemporary world. As we speak, the mind is being substituted by thinking machines. Thinking is increasingly becoming automatised and mechanised, and technology is taking over all the traditionally human and humanistic realms of life and action. This volume employs the discursive devices and techniques already present in the second volume, so the text represents a combination of descriptive, interpretative, argumentative, programmatic, assertive, explanatory and declarative discourses. It also includes the combination of fragmentary, narrative, academic and essayistic styles and registers. The use of different writing styles, registers and forms aims at exemplifying the chaos and disorder of the present moment through the discourse itself.

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Book SynopsisThis collection of previously printed articles by W. Mattieu Williams is of interest to all readers who are sufficiently intelligent to prefer sober fact to sensational fiction, but who, at the same time, do not profess to be scientific specialists. The author has combined clearness and simplicity with an attempt at philosophy.

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Book SynopsisScientific Thinking is a practical guide to inductive reasoning – the sort of reasoning that is commonly used in scientific activity, whether such activity is performed by a scientist, a reporter, a political pollster, or any one of us in day-to-day life. The book provides comprehensive coverage of such topics as confirmation, sampling, correlations, causality, hypotheses, and experimental methods. Martin’s writing confounds those who would think that such topics must be dry-as-dust, presenting ideas in a lively and engaging tone and incorporating amusing examples throughout. This book underlines the importance of acquiring good habits of scientific thinking, and helps to instill those habits in the reader. Stimulating questions and exercises are included in each chapter.Trade Review“Robert Martin’s book is an excellent introduction to scientific thinking, and in that respect, to the philosophy of science … [it] renders a number of complex and difficult topics very accessible.” — Rich Hughen, Teaching Philosophy“Scientific Thinking is admirably clear and linear. It takes the student from the elementary position of undirected observation through problems in sampling to issues in explanation, causation and classification. The book’s informal language helps to make it easy to understand such things as the need for and practical difficulties involved with random sampling. … Scientific and historical examples are presented in an especially illuminating way.” — Carl Matheson, University of ManitobaTable of ContentsChapter 0: Not Your Usual IntroductionPart I: Induction, Proportions, CorrelationsChapter 1: Galileo and Mrs. SmithChapter 2: Induction, Deduction, ConfirmationChapter 3: SamplingChapter 4: SamplesChapter 5: Imprecision and Confidence LevelChapter 6: Statistical RelationsChapter 7: Correlations DescribedChapter 8: Correlations Calculated Part II: ExplanationsChapter 9: Explanations ExplainedChapter 10: Problems with D-N ModelChapter 11: Hypotheses and ExplanationsChapter 12: Two Strategies for HypothesizingChapter 13: Disconfirming HypothesesChapter 14: Empiricism RevisitedChapter 15: CategoriesChapter 16: Kinds and Laws Part III: CauseChapter 17: Seeing CausesChapter 18: Causal RelationsChapter 19: Causal ComplicationsChapter 20: Experimental ConfirmationChapter 21: Experimental ProceduresChapter 22: Non-Experimental MethodsChapter 23: The Truth Index

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Book SynopsisWritten for the millions of science teachers, students and the public who want evidence of their views. Society must make important choices in health and medicine, the environment, energy sources, the courts and in risk and safety. These issues and many other problems facing us require knowledge of science for their solution. Polls show that nearly half of the US population believes the myths, superstition and paranormal delivered by TV and the press. Despite the great advances of science in the 20th century, pseudo-science and anti-science are still around, even growing in some of the greatest universities and institutions in the land.

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Book SynopsisModern science is so much specialised that it seems utopic to try to follow it all at once. This new book is aimed at crossing the gap between specialists and a common understanding of ''modern science''. It would seem desirable that all educated people would know something from the humanities, literature, art but also the newest developments of natural sciences. One aim of this book is to point out the main messages of certain scientific fields, and what is really new and beyond the average educational level, in order to broaden our horizons. Therefore, at the end of the chapters each scientific field possible future contributions and and ethical concerns, if any, are elaborated.

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Book Synopsis"Margaret Cavendish (1623–1673) is a fascinating figure who is getting increasing attention by historians of philosophy these days, and for good reason. . . . She’s an interesting advocate of a vitalist tradition emphasizing the inherent activity of matter, as well as its inherent perceptive faculties. She’s also the perfect character to open students (and their teachers) up to a different seventeenth century, and a different cast of philosophical characters. This is an ideal book to use in the classroom. The Philosophical Letters (1664) gives us Cavendish’s view of what was interesting and important in the philosophical world at that moment, a view of philosophy as it was at the time by an engaged participant. There are few documents like it in the history of philosophy. Deborah Boyle’s Introduction provides a very accessible summary of Cavendish’s natural philosophy, as well as good introductions to the other figures that Cavendish discusses in the book. Boyle’s annotations are not extensive, but they are a great help in guiding the student toward an informed reading of the texts." —Daniel Garber, Princeton UniversityTrade Review"Boyle’s new edition of Cavendish’s Philosophical Letters makes accessible in print this imagined correspondence between Cavendish and another woman about how Cavendish’s view compares to those of Descartes, Hobbes, More, and Van Helmont. Boyle’s excellent Introduction sets the work in its context with respect to modes of writing and the intellectual environment in which she wrote, to Cavendish’s philosophical system as it is developed across her writings, and to the views of those thinkers against which she positions herself. This edition is both scholarly and accessible. It will be valuable to those already familiar with Cavendish, and especially valuable to those just starting to incorporate Cavendish into their understanding of early modern philosophy.” —Lisa Shapiro, Simon Fraser University“Boyle argues, and succeeds in making the case, that the Letters can be read on their own and stand as a single work (not a scattered series of thoughts). This will almost certainly become the standard volume of Cavendish's Letters." —Stephen Barbone, San Diego State University“Cavendish’s Philosophical Letters are an essential yet perhaps unappreciated text for those exploring the seventeenth century scientific revolution. . . . Boyle’s introduction is magically concise where the letters are dense and dizzying, at one moment abstract and then turning toward unexpected metaphor or even cultural commentary. . . . This is a text where the introduction is not only necessary, but thankfully also elucidatory, making legible the concerns and variety of opinions that produced it. “This edition is valuable to both advanced scholars and students because the scholarly apparati show what Cavendish is reading and responding to, a difficult task for those who had previously depended on the facsimile edition of the 1664 folio. "Boyle’s edition makes it possible to introduce this difficult text with crucial background and clarification, so that students in particular will see what she accurately calls 'a clearer picture of the shape of philosophy in the seventeenth century.'" —Andrew Black, Murray State University, in The Seventeenth Century

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