Arguing About Science is an outstanding, engaging introduction to the essential topics in philosophy of science, edited by two leading experts in the field. This exciting and innovative anthology contains a selection of classic and contemporary readings that examine a broad range of issues, from classic problems such as scientific reasoning; causation; and scientific realism, to more recent topics such as science and race; forensic science; and the scientific status of medicine.
The editors bring together some of the most influential contributions of famous philosophers in the field, including John Stuart Mill and Karl Popper, as well as more recent extracts from philosophers and scientists such as Ian Hacking, Stephen Jay Gould, Bas van Fraassen, Nancy Cartwright, and John Worrall. The anthology is organised into nine clear sections:
- science, non science and pseudo-science
- race, gender and science
- scientific reasoning
- scientific explanation
- laws and causation
- science and medicine
- probability and forensic science
- risk, uncertainty and science policy
- scientific realism and anti-realism.
The articles chosen are clear, interesting, and free from unnecessary jargon. The editors provide lucid introductions to each section in which they provide an overview of the debate, as well as suggestions for further reading.
Introduction Alexander Bird & James Ladyman Part 1: What is Science? 1. Science: Conjectures and Refutations Karl Popper 2. Is Freudian Psychoanalytic Theory Pseudo-Scientific by Karl Popper's Criterion of Demarcation? Adolf Grünbaum 3. The Mismeasure of Man Stephen Jay Gould 4. Objectivity, Value Judgement and Theory Choice Thomas Kuhn Part 2: Science, Race and Gender 5. Gender and Race: (What) Are They? (What) Do We Want Them To Be Sally Haslanger 6. The Battle of the Sexes Revisited Helena Cronin 7. Beyond the Gene but Beneath the Skin Evelyn Fox Keller 8. Towards a Critical Theory of "Race" Lucius T. Outlaw 9. Race: Biological Reality or Social Construct? Robin O. Andreason 10. On the New Biology of Race Joshua M. Glasgow 11. What Went Wrong: Reflections on Science by Observation and The Bell Curve Clark Glymour Part 3: Scientific Reasoning 12. Induction Peter Lipton 13. The Corroboration of Theories Hilary Putnam 14. A System of Logic John Stuart Mill 15. Of certain Characteristics of Scientific Induction William Whewell 16. Waves and Scientific Method Peter Achinstein 17. Notes on Bayesian Confirmation Theory Michael Strevens Part 4: Explanation 18. Scientific Explanation Wesley C. Salmon 19. The Pragmatics of Explanation Bas Van Fraassen 20. Explanation Peter Lipton Part 5: Laws and Causation Laws of Nature Fred. I. Dretske 21. What are laws of nature? Bas Van Fraassen 22. Natural Laws and the Problem of Provisos Marc Lange 23. Causal Laws and Effective Strategies Nancy Cartwright Part 6: Science and Medicine 24. Why Medicine Cannot Be a Science Ronald Munson 25. Philosophy of Medicine Kenneth F. Schaffner 26. Hierarchy of Evidence School of Health and Related Research, University of Sheffield 27. What Evidence in Evidence-Based Medicine John Worrall Part 7: Probability in Action: Forensic Science 28. Interpretation of Statistical Evidence in Criminal Trials: The Prosecutor’s Fallacy and the Defense Attorney’s Fallacy William C. Thompson & Edward L. Schumannt 29. Sudden Infant Death or Murder? A Royal Confusion About Probabilities Neven Sesardic Part 8: Risk, Uncertainty and Science Policy 30. Formulating the Precautionary Principle Neil A. Manson 31. Five Charges Against the Precautionary Principle Per Sandin, Martin Peterson, Sven Ove Hansson, Chrstina Ruden, and Andre Juthe 32. Risk and ethics: three approaches Sven Ove Hansson Part 9: Scientific Realism and Antirealism 33. The Aim and Structure of Physical Theory Pierre Duhem 34. The Theories of Modern Physics Henri Poincare 35. Objectivity of Science Henri Poincare 36. A confutation of convergent realism Larry Laudan 37. Arguments Concerning Scientific Realism Bas Van Fraassen 38. Experimentation and Scientific Realism Ian Hacking 39. Structural realism: The best of both worlds? John Worrall. Index
Biography
Alexander Bird is a Professor of Philosophy and Faculty of Arts Research Director at Bristol University, UK. His previous publications include Nature's Metaphysics: Laws and Properties (2007), and Philosophy of Science (Routledge/McGill-Queens University Press, 1998).
James Ladyman is a Professor of Philosophy at Bristol University UK. He is the author (with Ross, Collier, and Spurrett) of Every Thing Must Go: Metaphysics Naturalised (2007), and of the CHOICE awarding-winning book Understanding Philosophy of Science, also published by Routledge (2001).
"Ideal for introducing students and scholars to the wide range of questions addressed by philosophers of science - not only perennial questions in metaphysics and epistemology, but also contemporary questions at the intersection of science, public policy, and culture." - Marc Lange, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA
"An outstanding collection of essays - old classics and new hits - that survey the traditional heartlands of philosophy of science and explore unmapped territories. I know of no other collection that has this broad scope and comprehensiveness. Students will find no better place to start their philosophical engagement with science." – Stathis Psillos, University of Athens, Greece
"Combines classic topics like evidence and explanation with timely applications like gender, medicine, and forensic science. Especially noteworthy is Bird and Ladyman’s engaging treatment of the central role of uncertainty in science and its applications. Careful introductions make technical material accessible to introductory students." - Stuart Glennan, Butler University, USA
