Knowledge and Reference in Empirical Science

Knowledge and Reference in Empirical Scienceis a fascinating study of the bounds between science, knowledge and language: what kind of knowledge does science give us, and can the language of science be taken literally to describe the truth? In the first half of the book, Jody Azzouni examines the issues surrounding our knowledge of scientific theories, and how we gather evidence for them and test them. The second half of the book is concerned with "reference," the relationship between the use of a word and the object to which it refers. Azzouni defends the position of "semantic naturalism": the idea that the workings of language, including reference, are compatible with our current picture of the laws and methods of science. Now available in paperback,Knowledge and Reference in Empirical Scienceis an illuminating journey from the very foundations of philosophy of science through to contemporary issues in philosophy of language.

Jody Azzouni is Associate Professor of Philosophy at Tufts University