Overview

Thirteen specially written essays discuss topics from the work of Bas C. van Fraassen, one of the most important contemporary philosophers of science. The central and unifying theme of the volume is empiricism, an approach which van Fraassen developed most fully in The Scientific Image and The Empirical Stance. Thirteen of the world's leading experts in the field examine van Fraassen's defence of scientific anti-realism (which he sees as a core tenet of empiricism), as well as his claim that adopting a philosophical position like empiricism does not consist in holding a particular set of beliefs, but is rather a matter of taking a stance. Images of Empiricism concludes with an extensive and intriguing reply by van Fraassen, in which he develops and corrects his old views, and offers new insights into the nature of science, empiricism, and philosophy itself.

Full Product Details

Author:   Bradley Monton (University of Colorado at Boulder)
Publisher:   Oxford University Press
Imprint:   Oxford University Press
Dimensions:   Width: 16.00cm , Height: 2.50cm , Length: 24.20cm
Weight:   0.763kg
ISBN:  

9780199218844

ISBN 10:   0199218846
Pages:   400
Publication Date:   04 October 2007
Audience:   College/higher education ,  Undergraduate ,  Postgraduate, Research & Scholarly
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   To order  
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Table of Contents

Introduction Part I: The Scientific Image 1: Maarten Van Dyck: Constructive Empiricism and the Argument from Underdetermination 2: Nancy Cartwright: Why be Hanged for Even a Lamb 3: James Ladyman: The Epistemology of Constructive Empiricism 4: Alexander Bird: Underdetermination and Evidence 5: Philip Percival: An Empiricist Critique of Constructive Empiricism: The Aim of Science 6: Peter Lipton: Accepting Contradictions 7: Stathis Psillos: Putting a Bridle on Irrationality: An Appraisal of van Fraassen's New Epistemology Part II: The Empirical Stance 8: Ernan McMullin: Taking an Empirical Stance 9: Anjan Chakravartty: Six Degrees of Speculation: Metaphysics in Empirical Contexts 10: Chad Mohler: The Dilemma of Empiricist Belief 11: Michel Bitbol: Materialism, Stances, and Open-Mindedness 12: Anja Jauernig: Can a Philosophical Position Consist in a Stance? or, How to be an Empiricist and a Philosopher at the Same Time 13: Dien Ho: Farewell to Empiricism Part III: Van Fraassen's Reply 14: Bas C. van Fraassen: From A View Of Science To A New Empiricism

Reviews

...What struck me in general [...] and what certainly attests to the richness and complexity of van Fraassen's philosophy of science, is that after thirty years of intense and detailed debate about virtually every major theme of The Scientific Image, philosophers are still able to come up with new observations about, objections to, and new defenses to earlier objections to, the position presented in that book... * Igor Douven, Mind *

...What struck me in general [...] and what certainly attests to the richness and complexity of van Fraassen's philosophy of science, is that after thirty years of intense and detailed debate about virtually every major theme of The Scientific Image, philosophers are still able to come up with new observations about, objections to, and new defenses to earlier objections to, the position presented in that book... Igor Douven, Mind

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