Evidence, explanation, and realism
Subtitle: essays in the philosophy of science
By: Peter Achinstein
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Published: 2010
Place of publication: Oxford; New York
Language: eng
Number of pages: 331
ISBN-13: 9780199735259
Notes: Includes bibliographical references.
Table of contents: title: Part I: Evidence and induction. Concepts of evidence; title: Why philosophical theories of evidence are (and ought to be) ignored by scientests; title: The grue paradox; title: The war on induction : Whewill takes on Newton and Mill (Norton takes on everyone); title: Waves and the scientific method; title: Part II: Explanation. An illocutionary theory of explanation; title: The pragmatic character of explanation; title: Can there be a model of explanation?; title: Explanation versus prediction : which carries more weight?; title: Function statements; title: Part III: Realism, molecules, and electrons. Is there a valid experimental argument for scientific realism?; title: Jean Perrin and molecular reality; title: The problem of theoretical terms; title: What to do if you want to defend a theory you can't prove : a method of "physical speculation"; title: Who really discovered the electron?