Philosophy of Science

Philosophy of Science: A Contemporary Introduction introduces all the main themes in the philosophy of science, including the nature of causation, explanation, laws, theory, models, evidence, reductionism, probability, teleology, realism and instrumentalism.

Alex Rosenberg is R. Taylor Cole Professor of Philosophy at Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA

Acknowledgments

x

Why philosophy of science?

1

(18)

Overview

2

(1)

The relationship between science and philosophy

3

(3)

Scientific questions and questions about science

6

(2)

Modern science as philosophy

8

(6)

Understanding science and understanding wester civilization

14

(5)

Summary

16

(1)

Questions

16

(1)

Further reading

17

(2)

Explanation, causation and laws

19

(27)

Overview

20

(1)

Why do we need a theory of scientific explanation?

21

(2)

Defining scientific explanation

23

(8)

Who do laws explain?

31

(4)

Counterexamples and the pragmatics of explanation

35

(11)

Summary

43

(1)

Questions

44

(1)

Further reading

44

(2)

Scientific explanation and its discontents

46

(22)

Overview

47

(1)

Inexact laws and probabilities

48

(8)

Causation and teleology

56

(5)

From intelligibility to necessity

61

(7)

Summary

65

(1)

Questions

66

(1)

Further reading

67

(1)

The structure and metaphysics of scientific theories

68

(38)

Overview

69

(2)

How do theories work?

71

(11)

The problem of theoretical terms and the things they name

82

(14)

Theories and models

96

(10)

Summary

102

(2)

Questions

104

(1)

Further reading

104

(2)

The epistemology of scientific theorizing

106

(29)

Overview

107

(1)

A brief history of empiricism as science's epistemology

108

(4)

The epistemology of scientific testing

112

(4)

Statistics and probability to the rescue?

116

(13)

Underdetermination

129

(6)

Summary

131

(2)

Questions

133

(1)

Further reading

133

(2)

The challenge of history and post-positivism

135

(23)

Overview

136

(1)

A place for history?

137

(11)

No place for first philosophy?

148

(10)

Summary

155

(2)

Questions

157

(1)

Further reading

157

(1)

The nature of science and the fundamental questions of philosophy

158

(17)

Overview

159

(1)

From philosophy to history to relativism

160

(5)

Could the earth really be flat?

165

(10)

Summary

173

(1)

Questions

174

(1)

Further reading

174

(1)

Glossary

175

(6)

Bibliography

181

(4)

Index

185

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Philosophy of Science

Summary

Author Biography

Table of Contents

Supplemental Materials