Philosophy and Science: Paving the Way to Modern Science PDF Download

Author: Benjamin Webb
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781729196397
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 142

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Book Description
Modern science and scientific method, which became our proven method of deriving useable truths about our reality in the Universe, has its roots in ancient philosophy and in the work of the great Enlightenment thinkers, such as Descartes, Hume and Locke. Philosophical enquiry has enabled us to probe possibilities limited only by the creativity of the human mind. This volume provides a concise precis of the various philosophical schools and reviews the work of many of the great Western philosophers whose thoughts shaped scientific enquiry, from Aristotle and Plato to Gödel and Popper.This is Book One in the four-part series 'Science, Truth, and Meaning: From Wonder to Understanding'. Combined, the four books provide a scientific view of our place in the world, and address how science defines truth, moving from the thoughts that metaphysical philosophers have had about how the world works, to how their questions have been addressed by scientific method to reveal useable truths.

Author: Falin Chen
Publisher: Springer Nature
ISBN: 3030431355
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 601

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Book Description
The development of science has been an ideological struggle that lasted over three millennia. At and after the times of the Babylonian Empire, however, the pace of scientific evolution was painfully slow. This situation changed after Copernicus kick-started the Scientific Revolution with his heliocentric theory. Newton’s law of universal gravitation transformed natural philosophy, previously focused on mythology and abstract philosophical thinking, into an orderly and rational physical science. Einstein’s redefinition of space and time revealed a new and central principle of the Universe, paving the way for the huge amounts of energy held deep inside physical matter to be released. To this day, many of the our known physical theories represent an accumulation of changing knowledge over the long course of scientific history. But what kind of changes did the scientists see? What questions did they address? What methods did they use? What difficulties did they encounter? And what kind of persecution might they have faced on the road to discovering these beautiful, sometimes almost mystical, ideas? This book’s purpose is to investigate these questions. It leads the reader through the stories behind major scientific advancements and their theories, as well as explaining associated examples and hypotheses. Over the course of the journey, readers will come to understand the way scientists explore nature and how scientific theories are applied to natural phenomena and every-day technology.

Author: James Robert Brown
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1441152547
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 290

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Book Description
All the great philosophers from Plato and Aristotle to the present day have been philosophers of science. However, this book concentrates on modern philosophy of science, starting in the nineteenth century and offering coverage of all the leading thinkers in the field including Whewell, Mill, Reichenbach, Carnap, Popper, Feyerabend, Putnam, van Fraassen, Bloor, Latour, Hacking, Cartwright and many more. Crucially the book demonstrates how the ideas and arguments of these key thinkers have contributed to our understanding of such central issues as experience and necessity, conventionalism, logical empiricism, induction and falsification, the sociology of science, and realism. Ideal for undergraduate students, the book lays the necessary foundations for a complete and thorough understanding of this fascinating subject.

Author: Isabelle Stengers
Publisher: U of Minnesota Press
ISBN: 9780816630561
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 202

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Book Description
"The Invention of Modern Science proposes a fruitful way of going beyond the apparently irreconcilable positions, that science is either "objective" or "socially constructed." Instead, suggests Isabelle Stengers, one of the most important and influential philosophers of science in Europe, we might understand the tension between scientific objectivity and belief as a necessary part of science, central to the practices invented and reinvented by scientists."--pub. desc.

Author: Samuel Inbaraja using AI
Publisher: Dr. Samuel Inbaraja S
ISBN:
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 134

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Book Description
Embark on a comprehensive journey through the intricate landscape of scientific thought in "Philosophy of Science: An Exploratory Journey". This in-depth guide takes readers from the rudimentary tenets of philosophy of science to the pivotal concepts that define and differentiate science from non-science. The book explores the fine balance between science and scientism, offering insight into the unique methodologies that shape scientific inquiry. It navigates through the origins, applications, advantages, and disadvantages of Methodological Naturalism, and dives deep into the realm of causality, shedding light on the primary and secondary causes producing effects. An essential feature of the book is its exploration of various hypotheses and theories, including Inference to the Best Explanation (IBE), the logic of scientific discovery, and Falsificationism, inspired by Karl Popper. Moreover, it introduces readers to the interplay of Rationalism and Empiricism and the dance of Methodological Anarchy. The book traces the history and evolution of the philosophy of science, from the Scientific Revolution to the emergence of modern science. It discusses the role of universities and the World Wars, the advent of modern medicine, and the transformation of health and well-being. As it progresses, the book delves into the assumptions underpinning scientific knowledge, the beginnings of empirical science, and the concept of natural laws. A detailed exploration of Francis Bacon's method of empirical science and its criticisms provides an excellent historical context. The latter part of the book deals with the spectrum between Realism and Anti-realism, discussing various perspectives such as Naive Realism, Ontic Structural Realism, Entity Realism, Epistemic Structural Realism, and others. It investigates the case for both scientific anti-realism and realism, leading to a comprehensive understanding of the Realism-Anti-Realism spectrum. Further, it explores the intersection between science and theistic philosophy, predicting the future of the philosophy of science. The final chapters tackle Quantum Mechanics' impact on the Realism-Anti-Realism spectrum, the Correspondence and Coherence theories, and the influence of bias and randomization in scientific knowledge. "Philosophy of Science: An Exploratory Journey" is a must-read for students, educators, researchers, and anyone interested in understanding the philosophical foundations that guide scientific inquiry. This book is a valuable resource that encourages readers to reflect on the principles and practices that define and drive the scientific community.

Author: Paul D. Molnar
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 056767052X
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 320

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Book Description
This handbook explores Thomas F. Torrance's importance in modern theology, with each contribution bringing Torrance's deep and nuanced insights to a broad range of contemporary theological concerns. The contributors to this volume present cutting-edge Torrance scholarship for a new generation, which will enable readers to see the timely significance of Torrance for today. Comprising both contexts and dogmatics, these essays not only introduce key themes in Torrance's extensive published writings – including his work on the Trinity, ecumenism, incarnation, atonement, and eschatology - but also provide fresh interpretations fully conversant with theological problems facing the church in the world today. Designed as both a guide for students and a reference point for scholars, this handbook thoroughly explores the frameworks of key debates related to Torrance's theology, while also suggesting fresh interpretative strategies concerning his thought.

Author: A. Bala
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 0230601219
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 237

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Book Description
Arun Bala challenges Eurocentric conceptions of history by showing how Chinese, Indian, Arabic, and ancient Egyptian ideas in philosophy, mathematics, cosmology and physics played an indispensable role in making possible the birth of modern science.

Author: Alfred North Whitehead
Publisher: CUP Archive
ISBN: 9780521800617
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 288

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Book Description
Alfred North Whitehead's SCIENCE AND THE MODERN WORLD, originally published in 1925, redefines the concept of modern science. Presaging by more than half a century most of today's cutting-edge thought on the cultural ramifications of science and technology, Whitehead demands that readers understand and celebrate the contemporary, historical, and cultural context of scientific discovery. Taking readers through the history of modern science, Whitehead shows how cultural history has affected science over the ages in relation to such major intellectual themes as romanticism, relativity, quantum theory, religion, and movements for social progress.

Author: PATRICK MENDIE
Publisher: Lulu.com
ISBN: 1365690814
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 230

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Book Description
The main objective of this work is to establish the prominent role played by rationalism in the birth and growth of modern science. Other objectives are: 1. To highlight the relevance of rationalism in modern science and its contribution to knowledge. 2. To examine contributions from some rationalist philosophers whose works have strengthened the growth and development of modern science. 3. To show the diminishing influence of empiricism in modern science (Theory of relativity and Quantum m

Author: Hans Reichenbach
Publisher: Univ of California Press
ISBN: 9780520010550
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 352

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Book Description
This book represents a new approach to philosophy. It treats philosophy as not a collection of systems, but as a study of problems. It recognizes in traditional philosophical systems the historical function of having asked questions rather than having given solutions. Professor Reichenbach traces the failures of the systems to psychological causes. Speculative philosophers offered answers at a time when science had not yet provided the means to give true answers. Their search for certainty and for moral directives led them to accept pseudo-solutions. Plato, Descartes, Spinoza, Kant, and many others are cited to illustrate the rationalist fallacy: reason, unaided by observation, was regarded as a source of knowledge, revealing the physical world and "moral truth." The empiricists could not disprove this thesis, for they could not give a valid account of mathematical knowledge. Mathematical discoveries in the early nineteenth century cleared the way for modern scientific philosophy. Its advance was furthered by discoveries in modern physics, chemistry, biology, and psychology. These findings have made possible a new conception of the universe and of the atom. The work of scientists thus altered philosophy completely and brought into being a philosopher with a new attitude and training. Instead of dictating so-called laws of reason to the scientist, this modern philosopher proceeds by analyzing scientific methods and results. He finds answers to the age-old questions of space, time, causality, and life; of the human observer and the external world. He tells us how to find our way through this world without resorting to unjustifiable beliefs or assuming a supernatural origin for moral standards. Philosophy thus is no longer a battleground of contradictory opinions, but a science discovering truth step by step. Professor Reichenbach, known for his many contributions to logic and the philosophy of science, addresses this book to a wider audience. He writes for those who do not have the leisure or preparation to read in the fields of mathematics, symbolic logic, or physics. Besides showing the principal foundations of the new philosophy, he has been careful to provide the necessary factual background. He has written a philosophical study, not a mere popularization. It contains within its chapters all the necessary scientific material in an understandable form—and, therefore, conveys all the information indispensable to a modern world-view. The late Hans Reichenbach was Professor of Philosophy at the University of California, Los Angeles. His previous books include