Overview

Physicists think they have discovered the top quark. Biologists believe in evolution. But what precisely constitutes evidence for such claims, and why? Scientists often disagree with one another over whether or to what extent some evidence counts in favor of a theory because they are operating with different concepts of scientific evidence. These concepts need to be critically explored. Peter Achinstein has gathered some prominent philosophers and historians of science for critical and lively discussions of both general questions about the meaning of evidence and specific ones about evidence for particular scientific theories.

Full Product Details

Author:   Peter Achinstein (The Johns Hopkins University)
Publisher:   Johns Hopkins University Press
Imprint:   Johns Hopkins University Press
Dimensions:   Width: 15.20cm , Height: 2.60cm , Length: 22.90cm
Weight:   0.567kg
ISBN:  

9780801881183

ISBN 10:   0801881188
Pages:   304
Publication Date:   27 July 2005
Recommended Age:   From 17
Audience:   General/trade ,  General
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   Out of stock  
The supplier is temporarily out of stock of this item. It will be ordered for you on backorder and shipped when it becomes available.

Table of Contents

Preface Contributors Part I: Philosophical Theories of Evidence Chapter 1. A Little Survey of Induction Chapter 2. Four Mistaken Theses about Evidence, and How to Correct Them Chapter 3. Restoring Ambiguity to Achinstein's Account of Evidence Chapter 4. The Fast Track to Confirmation: Achinstein and Peirce on Evidence Chapter 5. Positive Relevance: A Defense and a Challenge Chapter 6. Evidence as Passing Sever Tests: Highly Probably Versus Highly Probed Hypotheses Chapter 7. Consilience, Confirmation, and Realism Part II: Scientific Applications Chapter 8. Evidence for Transmutation in Seventeenth-Century Alchemy Chapter 9. Agency and Objectivity in the Search for the Top Quark Chapter 10. Will Genomics Do More for Metaphysics Than Locke? Chapter 11. Is Domestic Evidence For (Or Against) Darwinian Evolution? Chapter 12. Evidence in the Sciences of Behavior Chapter 13. Introspective Evidence in Psychology

Reviews

""Leading philosopher of science Peter Achinstein has put together a first-rate collection on the problem of scientific evidence.""--Michael Ruse, Florida State University""

Leading philosopher of science Peter Achinstein has put together a first-rate collection on the problem of scientific evidence. --Michael Ruse, Florida State University

Author Information

Peter Achinstein is a professor of philosophy at the Johns Hopkins University. His previous books include Science Rules and Concepts of Science, also available from Johns Hopkins.

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