EPPS
EPISTEMOLOGY AND
PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE
Introduction
Books
Periodicals
Societies
Departments and Institutes
Programs
Other resources
Introduction
UNDER CONSTRUCTION.
TOP
Books
Introductory readings
• Callebaut,
Taking the Naturalistic Turn, 1993
Philosophers of science traditionally have ignored
the details of scientific research, and the has often been theories that
lack relevance either to science or to philosophy in general. In this
volume, leading philosophers of biology discuss the limitations of this
tradition and the advantages of the "naturalistic turn" — the idea
that the study of science is itself a scientific enterprise and should
be conducted accordingly. This innovative book presents candid, informal
debates among scholars who examine the benefits and problems of studying
science in the same way that scientists study the natural world. Callebaut
achieves the effect of face-to-face engagement through separate interviews
with participants.
Contributors: William Bechtel, Robert Brandon, Richard
M. Burian, Donald T. Campbell, Patricia Churchland, Jon Elster, Ronald
N. Giere, David L. Hull, Philip Kitcher, Karin Knorr Cetina, Bruno Latour,
Richard Levins, Richard C. Lewontin, Elisabeth Lloyd, Helen Longino, Thomas
Nickles, Henry C. Plotkin, Robert J. Richards, Alexander Rosenberg, Michael
Ruse, Dudley Shapere, Elliott Sober, Ryan Tweney, and William Wimsatt.
[Source]
• Fetzer,
Philosophy of Science, 1993
• Harré,
The Philosophies of Science, 2nd ed., 1985
• Hacking,
Representing and Intervening, 1983
• Chalmers,
What is this Thing Called Science?, 1982
• Kuhn,
The Structure of Scientific Revolutions (2nd ed.), 1970
• Hempel,
The Philosophy of Natural Science, 1966
• Nagel,
The Structure of Science, 1961
Anthologies
• Keil/Wilson,
Explanation and Cognition, 2000
The essays address the basic questions about explanation:
How do explanatory capacities develop? Are there kinds of explanation?
Do explanations correspond to domains of knowledge? Why do we seek explanations,
and what do they accomplish? How central are causes to explanation? The
essays draw on work in the history and philosophy of science, the philosophy
of mind and language, the development of concepts in children, conceptual
change in adults, and reasoning in human and artificial systems. They
also introduce emerging perspectives on explanation from computer science,
linguistics, and anthropology.
• Keil/Schnädelbach,
Naturalismus, 2000
• Kim/Sosa,
Metaphysics, 1999
• Sosa/Kim,
Epistemology, 1999
• Chandler/Davidson/Harootunian,
Questions of Evidence, 1994
•
Salmon, Introduction to Philosophy of Science, 1992
• Kitcher/Salmon,
Scientific Explanation, 1989
• McMullin,
Construction and Constraint, 1988
• Shimony/Nails,
Naturalistic Epistemology, 1987
• Churchland/Hooker,
Images of Science, 1985
"Churchland and Hooker have collected ten papers by
prominent philosophers of science which challenge van Fraassen's thesis
from a variety of realist perspectives. Together with van Fraassen's extensive
reply . . . these articles provide a comprehensive picture of the current
debate in philosophy of science between realists and anti-realists." (Jeffrey
Bub and David MacCallum)
[Source]
• Suppe,
The Structure of Scientific Theories, 1977
"Suppe is to be congratulated for the careful historical
accuracy, the closely reasoned analysis, and the scope and scrupulous
objectivity of his presentation in the Introduction." (Richard
J. Blackwell)
Selected monographs
• Goldman,
Knowledge in a Social World, 1999
• Salmon,
Causality and Explanation, 1998
Collects 26 of Salmon's essays. Part I comprises 5 introductory
essays that presuppose no formal training in philosophy of science and
form a background for subsequent essays. Parts II and III contain Salmon's
seminal work on scientific explanation and causality. Part IV offers survey
articles that feature advanced material but remain accessible to thosr
outside philosophy of science. Essays in Part V address specific issues
in particular scientific disciplines, namely, archaeology and anthropology,
astrophysics and cosmology, and physics.
• Kitcher,
The Advancement of Science, 1993
• Papineau,
Philosophical Naturalism, 1993
Defends the naturalist view that human beings and their
mental powers are normal parts of the natural world described by science.
The first part of the book shows why this naturalist perspective is an
inescapable consequence of certain physical truisms. Papineau then shows
how the central features of mind — consciousness, meaning, and knowledge
— can still be accomodated within the naturalist perspective. He
exposes the widespread intuition that consciousness is non-physical as
a confusion occasioned by the special structure of human imagination.
• Shimony,
Search for a Naturalistic World View (2 vols.), 1993
Volume I, Scientific Method and Epistemology,
advocates an "integral epistemology" combining conceptual analysis
with results of empiricial science. It proposes a version of scientific
realism that emphasizes causal relations between physical and mental events
and rejects a physicalist account of mentality. It offers a "tempered
personalist" version of scientific methodology, which supplements
Bayesianism with a posteriori principles distilled from exemplary
cognitive achievements. It defends the general reliability, corrigibility,
and progressiveness of empirical knowledge against relativism and skepticism.
Volume II, Natural Science and Metaphysics, widely
illustrates "experimental metaphysics." Quantum-mechanical studies
argue that potentiality, chance, probability, entanglement, and nonlocality
are objective features of the physical world. The variety of relation
between wholes and parts is explored in complex systems. One essay proposes
that in spite of abundant phenomena of natural selection, there exists
no principle of natural selection. A defense is given of the reality and
objectivity of transiency. A final section consists of historical, speculative,
and experimental studies of the mind-body problem.
• Fuller,
Social Epistemology, 1988
• Giere,
Explaining Science, 1988
• Hull,
Science as a Process, 1988
"Legend is overdue for replacement, and an adequate
replacement must attend to the process of science as carefully as Hull
has done. I share his vision of a serious account of the social and intellectual
dynamics of science that will avoid both the rosy blur of Legend and the
facile charms of relativism.… Because of [Hull's] deep concern with
the ways in which research is actually done, Science as a Process
begins an important project in the study of science. It is one of a distinguished
series of books, which Hull himself edits." (Philip Kitcher)
[Source]
• Goldman,
Epistemology and Cognition, 1986
• Cartwright,
How the Laws of Physics Lie, 1983
In this sequence of philosophical essays about natural
science, the author argues that fundamental explanatory laws, the deepest
and most admired successes of modern physics, do not in fact describe
regularities that exist in nature. Cartwright draws from many real-life
examples to propound a novel distinction: that theoretical entities, and
the complex and localized laws that describe them, can be interpreted
realistically, but the simple unifying laws of basic theory cannot.
• Van
Fraassen, The Scientific Image, 1980
A plea for a "constructive empiricist" alternative
to scientific realism. Arguably on of the most influential single books
in the philosophy of science in the last two decades.
[Quotes
from reviews].
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Periodicals
• American
Philosophical Quarterly (APQ) (1964— )
(Quarterly; North American Philosophical Publications.)
One of the principal English vehicles for the publication of scholarly
work in philosophy. The whole of each issue is given to substantial articles;
no book reviews or critical notices are published, although from time
to time there are "state of the art" surveys of recent work on particular
topics. The editorial policy is to publish work of high quality, regardless
of the school of thought from which it derives.
• Australasian
Journal of Philosophy (AJP)
[TOCs
(March 1998— )]
(Quarterly; Oxford University Press.) Publishes
original articles and discussion notes of high quality in any area of
philosophy. Reviews of important recent books in philosophy, and book
notes are also published. Under the guidance of the editorial board, a
small number of critical notices are commissioned each year. All articles,
discussions notes, and critical notices are subject to double-blind refereeing.
• British
Journal for the Philosophy of Science (BJPS)
[TOCs
and abstracts]
(Quarterly; Oxford University Press.) Encourages
the application of philosophical techniques to issues raised by the natural
and human sciences. These include general questions of scientific knowledge
and objectivity, as well as more particular problems arising within specific
disciplines. Topics currently being discussed in the journal include:
scientific realism, causation, the logic of natural selection, the interpretation
of quantum mechanics, the direction of time, probability and confirmation.
Receives over 200 submissions a year. The editors seek advice from the
members of the editorial panel and a large number of expert referees.
The new editors have instituted the policy of deciding on all submissions
within six weeks of receipt. This is partly because we want to encourage
authors to send us articles, but also because we think it is unnecessary,
and therefore wrong, for authors to be kept waiting longer. The editorial
team also ensures comprehensive coverage of books on philosophy of science
and related subjects and publishes longer review articles on books of
major significance in the field.
• Canadian
Journal of Philosophy (CJP)
[TOCs
(March 1996— )]
(Quarterly; University of Calgary Press.) In addition
to the regular issues, CJP publishes annually a supplementary volume
of original papers on a selected theme of contemporary philosophical interest.
This supplementary volume is free to all subscribers to the journal in
that year.
• Electronic
Journal of Analytic Philosophy (EJAP)
• Epistemologia
(English and Italian; twice a year; Tilgher-Genova.)
A journal for the philosophy of science in its broadest sense. Not only
does it pay due attention to analytic research on special topics concerning
the methods and contents of the sciences, but it also looks upon science
itself as a historical fact and as an expression of human rationality.
Topics include history of science and logic.
• Erkenntnis
(1954— )
[TOCs
(January 1995— )]
(Quarterly; available online; Kluwer.) Publishes
papers which are committed to the philosophical attitude which is signified
by the label `analytic philosophy'. Concentrates on those philosophical
fields which are particularly inspired by this attitude, though other
topics are welcome as well. These fields are: epistemology; philosophy
of science; foundations and methodology of science in general and natural
and human sciences such as physics, biology, psychology, economics, social
sciences, etc. in particular; philosophy of mathematics; logic, philosophy
of logic, and all kinds of philosophical logics; philosophy of language;
ontology, metaphysics, theory of truth, theory of modality; philosophical
psychology, philosophy of mind; practical philosophy, i.e. ethics, philosophy
of action, philosophy of law, etc.
Erkenntnis has as one of its objectives the
provision of a suitable platform for the discussion of controversial issues;
another is the provision of timely, competent reviews of important publications
in an ever-growing field of research.
In recent years, philosophers standing quite outside
the pale of analytic philosophy have also paid careful, and indeed most
welcome, attention both to precision of concept and language, and to well-grounded
foundations. Erkenntnis provides for them, and for philosophers
of all persuasions, a place of meeting, of discussion, and of disputation.
• History
and Philosophy of Logic
This journal contains articles, notes and book reviews
dealing with the history and philosophy of logic. 'Logic' is understood
to be any volume of knowledge which was regarded as logic at the time
in question. 'History' refers back to ancient times and also to work in
this century; however, the Editor will not accept articles, including
review articles, on very recent work on a topic. 'Philosophy' refers to
broad and general questions: specialist articles which are now classed
as 'philosophical logic' will not be published. The Editor will consider
articles on the relationship between logic and other branches of knowledge,
but the component of logic must be substantial. Topics with no temporal
specification are to be interpreted both historically and philosophically.
Each topic includes its own metalogic where appropriate.
• HYLE:
International Journal for Philosophy of Chemistry (1995— )
[Issues
(full text access)]
(At least twice a year. English.) A refereed international
journal for the philosophy of chemistry dedicated to all philosophical
aspects of chemistry. Articles deal with epistemological, methodological,
foundational, and ontological problems of chemistry and its subfields;
the peculiarities of chemistry and relations to technology, other scientific
and non-scientific fields; aesthetical, ethical, and environmental matters
in chemistry; as well as philosophically relevant facets of the history,
sociology, linguistics, and education of chemistry. HYLE offers original
articles, a forum for discussion and brief communication, and book reviews.
HYLE is published both in electronic form at least
twice a year (for free) and in print form as annual volume (with costs).
• International Studies in the Philosophy
of Science
• Journal of Philosophy (1904— )
• Metascience
• Monist
• Noûs
• Perspectives
on Science
Devoted to studies of the sciences that integrate
historical, philosophical, and sociological perspectives. Its interdisciplinary
approach is intended to foster a more comprehensive understanding of the
sciences and the contexts in which they develop. Contributions to the
journal include theoretical essays, case studies, and review essays.
• Perspektiven der Analytischen Philosophie
(PAP)
(Perspectives in Analytical Philosophy)
(mentis.) "Perspektiven der Analytischen Philoso(Perspectives
in Analytical Philosophy), or PAP for short, edited by Georg Meggle and
Julian Nida-Rümelin and published by de Gruyter and (since 1999)
by mentis, produces conference proceedings as well as anthologies and
monographies referring to the different areas of analytic philosophy and
its history. The texts are published in German and/or English.
• Philosophy
of Science
[TOCs]
Journal of the Philosophy of Science Association.
• Science,
Technology, and Human Values
(Quarterly.) Research articles and reviews of books
on social studies of science, technology and policy issues as well as
review essays on developments in constituent disciplines and topics of
current debate. This journal is provided four times each year as a benefit
of 4S membership.
• Social Epistemology
• Social
Philosophy and Policy (1983— )
[TOCs
(Spring 1990)]
(Cambridge University Press 1990— )
An interdisciplinary journal with an emphasis on the philosophical underpinnings
of enduring social policy debates. Each issue is dedicated to a particular
theme chosen by the editors, with the advice of the editorial board, designed
to appeal to both academic specialists and a broader scholarly audience.
While not primarily a journal of policy prescriptions, several contributions
in each issue will typically connect theory with practice. The editors
encourage and actively pursue diversity of viewpoints of contributors.
Diversity is also encouraged by selecting authors from among different
disciplines, especially philosophy, economics, political science, and
the law.
• Synthese
International Journal for Epistemology, Methodology
and Philosophy of Science
Publishes articles in the theory of knowledge, the general
methodological problems of science, such as the problems of scientific
discovery and scientific interest, of induction and probability, of causation
and of the role of mathematics, statistics and logic in science, the methodological
and foundational problems of the different departmental sciences, insofar
as they have philosophical interest, those aspects of symbolic logic and
of the foundations of mathematics which are relevant to the philosophy
and methodology of science, and those facets of the history and sociology
of science which are important for contemporary topical pursuits. Particular
attention is paid to the role of mathematical, logical and linguistic
methods in the general methodology of science and the foundations of the
different sciences, be they physical, biological, behavioral or social.
Most of the issues of Synthese are organized into thematic issues,
taking the character of symposia dealing with described themes.
• Technoscience
(1988— )
Newsletter of the Society for Social Studies of
Science
[TOCs
(Fall 1995— )]
• Zeitschrift für allgemeine
Wissenschaftstheorie
See International
Studies in the Philosophy of Science.
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Societies
• American
Philosophical Association (APA) (1900— )
The American Philosophical Association is the main
professional organization for philosophers in the United States. Founded
in 1900, its mission is to promote the exchange of ideas among philosophers,
to encourage creative and scholarly activity philosophy, to facilitate
the professional work and teaching of philosophers, and represent philosophy
as a discipline.
• Canadian
Society for the History and Philosophy of Science/ Société
canadienne d'histoire et philosophie de sciences
• European Society for Analytic Philosophy (ESAP)
• Philosophy
of Science Association (PSA)
[Newsletter
archive]
The Philosophy of Science Association aims to further
studies and freediscussion from diverse standpoints in the field of philosophy
of science. To this end, the PSA engages in activities such as: the publishing
of periodicals, essays and monographs in this field; sponsoring conventions
and meetings; and the awarding of prizes for distinguished work in the
field.
• Gesellschaft
für Analytische Philosophie (GAP) (1990— )
Aims at promoting analytic philosophy, especially
in German-speaking countries, by exchange of information, by coordination
and advice in research projects, by assistance in promoting research,
by support of scientific talent and, particularly by organizing scientific
meetings and congresses.Provides a European platform of communication
for analytic philosophy in German language. Is committed to further the
visibility of the growing variety of analytic positions and to promote
the international philosophical exchange with a special emphasis on including
Central and Eastern Europe.
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Institutes
• Institute
Vienna Circle
Furthers the scientific world conception as originally
put forward by the Wiener Kreis by promoting scientific philosophy and
the democratization of science, understood as a process of enlightment.
• Minnesota
Center for Philosophy of Science (MCPS) (1953— )
The oldest center for philosophy of science in the
world. Founded by Herbert Feigl, the Center is a research unit whose members
include faculty from a variety of units on the Twin Cities campus. Overall,
the Minnesota Center for Philosophy of Science represents one the world's
largest concentrations of resources for the study of philosophy of science.
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Programs
• Joint
Graduate Program in the History and Philosophy of Science and Technology
(Athens, Greece)
An interdepartmental program jointly implemented by
the Department of Humanities, Social Sciences and Law of the National
Technical University of Athens and the Department of History and Philosophy
of Science of the University of Athens. The subject matter of the program
— which leads to the MA and the PhD degrees in the History and Philosophy
of Science — unifies students and faculty from mainly two separate
backgrounds, one from the direction of mathematics and science, the other
from the direction of the humanities and social sciences. The program's
broader aim is to create conditions for interdisciplinary dialogue by
providing students with the rigor and breadth necessary for approaching
issues from a variety of different perspectives.
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Other resources
• Selective
Bibliography of the Philosophy of Science
(Ward E. Jones and Samir Okasha with W.H. Newton-Smith,
Oxford University).
• EpistemeLinks.com
(ELC)
Includes thousands of sorted links to philosophy resources
on the internet and has several additional features. The main sections
of EpistemeLinks.com are Philosophers and Topics. Other sections include
Events, Discussion, E-Texts, New Books, Used Books, Audio Books, and Job
Listings. As it is updated often, regular visitors would do well to find
out what is new and read the information about ELC. Also, the email newsletter
helps you to stay in touch with philosophy online.
• Internet
Encylopedia of Philosophy
• Journals
on Philosophy of Science
(Department of History and Philosophy of Science
Eötvös University, Budapest)
• The
Naturalism Question. How to Re-think the Analytic–Continental Dichotomy
from a Feminist Epistemological Perspective (Alessandra Allegrini)
• Peirce
Edition Project
• Pragmatism
Cybrary
Books on Pragmatism, 1995-1999.
• Stanford
Encylopedia of Philosophy
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