Overview

Since the late 1980s, the neglect of experiment by philosophers and historians of science has been replaced by a keen interest in the subject. In this volume, a number of prominent philosophers of experiment directly address basic theoretical questions, develop existing philosophical accounts, and offer novel perspectives on the subject, rather than rely exclusively on historical cases of experimental practice. Each essay examines one or more of six interconnected themes that run throughout the collection: the philosophical implications of actively and intentionally interfering with the material world while conducting experiments; issues of interpretation regarding causality; the link between science and technology; the role of theory in experimentation involving material and causal intervention; the impact of modeling and computer simulation on experimentation; and the philosophical implications of the design, operation, and use of scientific instruments.

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9780822957959

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Reviews

There are more issues, examples, and lessons for epistemologists in the study of scientific experimentation than are dreamt of in empiricist, prag matist, postmodernist, and other popular philosophies. This volume is an excellent place to find out about them. Several of its papers deserve to become classics - not just in philosophy of science, but in epistemology. - Jim Bogen, University of Pittsburgh Center for Philosophy of Science

Author Information

Hans Radder is professor emeritus in philosophy of science and technology at the Department of Philosophy of VU University Amsterdam, Netherlands. He is the author of many articles and several books, including The World Observed/The World Concei

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