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Evaluating Philosophies

  • Book
  • © 2012

Overview

Authors:
  1. Mario Bunge

    1. , Dept. of Philosophy, McGill University, Montreal, Canada

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  • Proposes and illustrates a simple criterion for evaluating any philosophical doctrine: Does it help advance knowledge?
  • Clearly written, and avoids the use of obscure technical terms
  • Argues for an emergentist and non-reductionist view of materialism, as well as for a non-posivist version of scientism, and a systemic alternative to both individualism and holism. ?

Part of the book series: Boston Studies in the Philosophy and History of Science (BSPS, volume 295)

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Table of contents (20 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xiv
    Download chapter PDF

  2. How to Nurture or Hinder Research

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 1-1
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  3. HOW TO NURTURE OR HINDER RESEARCH

    1. Philosophies and Phobosophies

      • Mario Bunge
      Pages 3-13

    2. The Philosophical Matrix of Scientific Progress

      • Mario Bunge
      Pages 15-34

    3. Systemics and Materialism

      • Mario Bunge
      Pages 35-47

  4. Philosophy in Action

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 49-49
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  5. PHILOSOPHY IN ACTION

    1. Technoscience?

      • Mario Bunge
      Pages 51-56

    2. Climate and Logic

      • Mario Bunge
      Pages 57-59

    3. Informatics: One or Multiple?

      • Mario Bunge
      Pages 61-64

    4. Wealth and Well-being, Economic Growth and Integral Development

      • Mario Bunge
      Pages 65-76

    5. Can Standard Economic Theory Account for Crises?

      • Mario Bunge
      Pages 77-82

    6. Marxist Philosophy: Promise and Reality

      • Mario Bunge
      Pages 83-93

    7. Rules of Law: Just and Unjust

      • Mario Bunge
      Pages 95-102

  6. Philosophical Gaps

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 103-103
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  7. PHILOSOPHICAL GAPS

    1. Subjective Probabilities: Admissible in Science?

      • Mario Bunge
      Pages 105-113

    2. Does Inductive Logic Work?

      • Mario Bunge
      Pages 115-118

    3. Bridging Theories to Data

      • Mario Bunge
      Pages 119-130

    4. Matter and Energy: Physical or Metaphysical Concepts?

      • Mario Bunge
      Pages 131-138

    5. Does Quantum Physics Refute Realism, Materialism and Determinism?

      • Mario Bunge
      Pages 139-149

    6. Parallel Universes? Digital Physics?

      • Mario Bunge
      Pages 151-157
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Keywords

About this book

    The first part deals with philosophies that have had a significant input, positive or negative, on the search for truth; it suggests that scientific and technological are either stimulated or smothered by a philosophical matrix; and it outlines two ontological doctrines believed to have nurtured research in modern times: systemism (not to be mistaken for holism) and materialism (as an extension of physicalism).   The second part discusses a few practical problems that are being actively discussed in the literature, from climatology and information science to economics and legal philosophy. This discussion is informed by the general principles analyzed in the first part of the book. Some of the conclusions are that standard economic theory is just as inadequate as Marxism; that law and order are weak without justice; and that the central equation of normative climatology is a tautology–which of course does not put climate change in doubt.   The third and final part of the book tackles a set of key concepts, such as those of indicator, energy, and existence, that have been either taken for granted or neglected. For instance, it is argued that there is at least one existence predicate, and that it is unrelated to the so-called existential quantifier; that high level hypotheses cannot be put to the test unless conjoined with indicator hypotheses; and that induction cannot produce high level hypotheses because empirical data do not contain any transempirical concepts. Realism, materialism, and systemism are thus refined and vindicated.   ​

Authors and Affiliations

  • , Dept. of Philosophy, McGill University, Montreal, Canada

    Mario Bunge

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