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It Started with Copernicus: Vital Questions about Science by Parsons Keith
A unique approach to the philosophy of science that focuses on the liveliest and most important controversies surrounding scienceIs science more rational or objective than any other intellectual endeavor? Are scientific theories accurate depictions of reality or just useful devices for manipulating the environment? These core questions are the focus of this unique approach to the philosophy of science. Unlike standard textbooks, this book does not attempt a comprehensive review of the entire field, but makes a selection of the most vibrant debates and issues.The author tackles such stimulating questions Can science meet the challenges of skeptics? Should science address questions traditionally reserved for philosophy and religion? Further, does science leave room for human values, free will, and moral responsibility?Written in an accessible, jargon-free style, the text succinctly presents complex ideas in an easily understandable fashion. By using numerous examples taken from diverse areas such as evolutionary theory, paleontology, and astronomy, the author piques readers' curiosity in current scientific controversies. Concise bibliographic essays at the end of each chapter invite readers to sample ideas different from the ones offered in the text and to explore the range of opinions on each topic.Rigorous yet highly readable, this excellent invitation to the philosophy of science makes a convincing case that understanding the nature of science is essential for understanding life itself.
- GenresSciencePhilosophy
Paperback
First published January 1, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
September 9, 2019
If you’re only going to ever read one book on philosophy of science, this is it.
June 21, 2018
Parsons’ review of the history of changes in science was a tough read. It is philosophy. If you enjoy mental gymnastics, go for it but I found it tedious and repetitive. The case studies were the highlight, but one wasn’t accurate as I was ‘there at the time’. I lost confidence in the book at that point. A concise 30 pager would be a winner. As it stands, it is a textbook for HPS - history and philosophy of science.
April 8, 2015
I like this book. I actually randomly came across it on the new book shelf in the library, and couldn't resist. The first chapter is my favorite so far! Perhaps if you have a background in philosophy and biology/science, you have already heard of most of the topics and debates. I am just now getting more interested in the philosophy behind science and the political situations, so many names are new, however not all of them. It may take a couple of days to read as there are so many book recommendations listed at the end of each chapter (so many books, yay!). For those of you that are interested in the breakdown of the book, here goes:
Chapter 1 Copernican Questions
Chapter 2 Is Science Really Rational? The Problem of Incommensurability
Chapter 3 A Walk on the Wild Side: Social Constructivism, Postmodernism, Feminism, and That Old-Time Religion
Chapter 4 Ascending the Slippery Slope
Chapter 5 Truth or Consequences?
Chapter 6 Mysteries of Method
Chapter 7 If You Have Science, Who Needs Philosophy?
Chapter 8 Science, Scientism, and Being Human
My favorite quotes so far are:
"The wild turkey, for instance, is smart, elusive, and tough. The domesticated turkey, the direct descendant of the wild turkey, is stupid, docile, and delicious."
"The problem of incommensurability allegedly arises when two parties have such radically different views that their ability to communicate breaks down, at least to some degree. But to be a philosophically interesting idea, incommensurability has to mean more than this. Communication can break down for all sorts of reasons. Prior to the Civil War, Southerners and Northerners could no longer have meaningful debates about the issue of slavery, or much of anything else. They hurled insults and epithets back and forth, delivered sonorous diatribes, and employed all the devices of the florid oratory of the day. But long before the first shot was fired at Fort Sumter, they had ceased any meaningful exchange of ideas. However, the problem certainly did not seem to be that North and South spoke a different language or could find no common terms to express their disagreements. The problem was that feeling ran so high and opinion had become so polarized that hardly anyone was willing or even able to listen to reason anymore. Tragically, in a situation like this, when people can no longer settle their disagreements by rational, peaceful means, violence is almost inevitable."
To Be Continued...
Chapter 1 Copernican Questions
Chapter 2 Is Science Really Rational? The Problem of Incommensurability
Chapter 3 A Walk on the Wild Side: Social Constructivism, Postmodernism, Feminism, and That Old-Time Religion
Chapter 4 Ascending the Slippery Slope
Chapter 5 Truth or Consequences?
Chapter 6 Mysteries of Method
Chapter 7 If You Have Science, Who Needs Philosophy?
Chapter 8 Science, Scientism, and Being Human
My favorite quotes so far are:
"The wild turkey, for instance, is smart, elusive, and tough. The domesticated turkey, the direct descendant of the wild turkey, is stupid, docile, and delicious."
"The problem of incommensurability allegedly arises when two parties have such radically different views that their ability to communicate breaks down, at least to some degree. But to be a philosophically interesting idea, incommensurability has to mean more than this. Communication can break down for all sorts of reasons. Prior to the Civil War, Southerners and Northerners could no longer have meaningful debates about the issue of slavery, or much of anything else. They hurled insults and epithets back and forth, delivered sonorous diatribes, and employed all the devices of the florid oratory of the day. But long before the first shot was fired at Fort Sumter, they had ceased any meaningful exchange of ideas. However, the problem certainly did not seem to be that North and South spoke a different language or could find no common terms to express their disagreements. The problem was that feeling ran so high and opinion had become so polarized that hardly anyone was willing or even able to listen to reason anymore. Tragically, in a situation like this, when people can no longer settle their disagreements by rational, peaceful means, violence is almost inevitable."
To Be Continued...
January 21, 2016
First let me say that I was fooled. The book is not about Copernicus, and I'm glad it went this way. This is a very enriching insight about the history of philosophy of science. It is magnificently written by a scholar in the field and it is at the same time fun and relatively easy to read, considering the type of work this is. If you give this book a try you'll learn lots of interesting things and you'll look at the world in a different way, definitely. The author is very assertive and do a great effort to put the different theories in a unbiased way. The intellectual honesty is also very appreciated and the deep of analysis is very good also. The author ends each of the chapter with a section of additional bibliography. I must recognize the value here, first because it shows that the Keith values the knowledge and recognize the importance of contradictory and the collision of different approaches from that he employs here. I huge recommends this work to anyone interested in the world of thoughts being the science the main topic of discussion. Love it
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews