The Metaphysics of Science
An Account of Modern Science in Terms of Principles, Laws and Theories
Authors: Dilworth, Craig
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- About this book
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The roots of this work lie in my earlier book, Scientific Progress, which first appeared in 1981. One of its topics, the distinction - tween scientific laws and theories, is there treated with reference to the same distinction as drawn by N. R. Campbell in his Physics: The Elements. Shortly after completing Scientific Progress, I read Rom Harré’s The Principles of Scientific Thinking, in which the concept of theory is even more clearly delineated than in Campbell, being directly connected to the notion of a model – as it was in my book. In subsequent considerations regarding science, Harré’s work thus - came my main source of inspiration with regard to theories, while Campbell’s remained my main source with respect to empirical laws. Around the same time I also read William Whewell’s Philosophy of the Inductive Sciences. In this work, Whewell depicts principles as playing a central role in the formation of science, and conceives of them in much the same way as Kant conceives of fundamental synthetic a priori judgements. The idea that science should have principles as a basic element immediately made sense to me, and from that time I have thought of science in terms of laws, theories and principles.
- Reviews
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From the reviews:
"Dilworth does not content himself with a mere philosophical analysis of the phenomenon of modern science, but tries to draw a lesson from the analysis applicable to the actual practice of science. Whereas in its beginnings modern science was a paradigm of open-mindedness, it is now in danger of becomming an ideology, due to its refusal to reflect on its own principles. The Metaphysics of Science performs the much-needed function of opening the doors to such reflection - both for professional philosophers and scientists themselves''.(L.E. Fleischhacker, Epistemologia)
From the reviews of the second edition:
"Craig Dilworth’s second edition of The Metaphysics of Science contains the main text of an ambitious philosophical treatment intended to resolve realist-empiricist debates about the nature of science … . This book is worthwhile for philosophers of science and could profitably be assigned as reserve text for upper level undergraduate courses in history and philosophy of science of metaphysics. … Dilworth’s main aim is to propose and defend a metaphysics of science based on three ontological principles, uniformity of nature, substance, and causality." (Robert L. Muhlnickel, Metapsychology Online Reviews, Vol. 12 (22), May, 2008)
"Science makes metaphysical presuppositions. I must … at once declare an interest. … According to Dilworth, the three metaphysical principles constitute ‘the core of modern science’ … . They guide research and provide methodological rules. … Dilworth suggests that we need a new metaphysical paradigm for a new kind of science. … this book propounds an immensely important idea–even if one that received a much improved formulation at least twelve years before publication of the first edition." (Nicholas Maxwell, International Studies in the Philosophy of Science, August, 2009)
- Table of contents (10 chapters)
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Empiricism Vs. Realism – The Perennial Debate In The Philosophy Of Science
Pages 9-48
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Fundamental And Refined Principles: The Core Of Modern Science
Pages 49-72
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Empirical Laws: The Supervention Of Experience
Pages 73-94
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Scientific Theories: Closing The Circle
Pages 95-108
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The Principle-Theory-Law Model Of Scientific Explanation
Pages 109-129
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Table of contents (10 chapters)
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Bibliographic Information
- Bibliographic Information
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- Book Title
- The Metaphysics of Science
- Book Subtitle
- An Account of Modern Science in Terms of Principles, Laws and Theories
- Authors
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- Craig Dilworth
- Series Title
- Boston Studies in the Philosophy and History of Science
- Series Volume
- 173
- Copyright
- 2007
- Publisher
- Springer Netherlands
- Copyright Holder
- Springer Science+Business Media B.V.
- eBook ISBN
- 978-1-4020-3838-9
- DOI
- 10.1007/978-1-4020-3838-9
- Hardcover ISBN
- 978-1-4020-3837-2
- Softcover ISBN
- 978-1-4020-6327-5
- Series ISSN
- 0068-0346
- Edition Number
- 2
- Number of Pages
- XVI, 333
- Topics
