John Losee is Professor of Philosophy at Lafayette College, USA.
Summary
Designed for first-time readers of the subject, this stimulating introduction offers an historical exposition
of differing views on the philosophy of science. Presenting the major philosophers whose contributions are discussed
in this book, Losee explores the long-argued questions raised by philosophers and scientists about the proper evaluation
of science. This new edition incorporates contemporary developments in the discipline, including recent work on
theory-appraisal, experimental practice, the debate over scientific realism, and the philosophy of biology. Taking
a balanced and informative approach, this work is the ideal introductory volume.
Table of Contents
Introduction
1. Aristotle's Philosophy of Science
2. The Pythagorean Orientation
3. The Ideal of Deductive Systemization
4. Atomism and the Concept of Underlying Mechanism
5. Affirmation and Development of Aristotle's Method in the Medieval Period
6. The Debate over Saving the Appearances
7. The Seventeenth-Century Attack on Aristotelian Philosophy
8. Newton's Axiomatic Method
9. Analysis of the Implications of the New Science for a Theory of Scientific Method
10. Inductivism v the Hypothetico-Deductive View of Science
11. Mathematical Positivism and Conventionlism
12. Logical Reconstructivist Philosophy of Science
13. Orthodoxy under Attack
14. Theories of Scientific Progress
15. Explanation, Causation, and Unification
16. Confirmation and Evidential Support
17. The Justification of Evaluative Standards
18. The Debate over Scientific Realism
19. Descriptive Philosophies of Science
