Download or read book Worldviews Science and Us Studies of Analytical Metaphysics written by and published by . This book was released on with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Worldviews Science and Us written by Robrecht Vanderbeeken and published by World Scientific. This book was released on 2010 with total page 248 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume brings together the lectures presented at the 5th Metaphysics of Science Workshop held from June 2 to 3, 2005, in Ghent, Belgium. The aim of this volume is twofold. First, it fields a selection of ongoing discussions on a central topic in contemporary analytical metaphysics. Authors were asked to encapsulate their lecture topic into a pr(r)cis, highlighting the contesting views, accentuating the pro and contra of the main arguments, and shedding light on the origin, the evolution and the eventual offspring of a respective discussion. Second, this volume addresses the methodological question by examining what can be learned if we compare these discussions from a methodological perspective. What are the red herrings and shortcomings? Is an integrated methodology possible? Does each discussion finally await a pluralism of plausible positions or will an overall convincing account be expected? And finally, can analytical metaphysics methodologically assert and investigate their basic assumptions, if not from a common sense stance?. Sample Chapter(s). Chapter 1: Worldviews, Science and Us: Studies of Analytical Metaphysics. A Selection of Topics From a Methodological Perspective (55 KB). Contents: Worldviews, Science and Us: Studies of Analytical Metaphysics. A Selection of Topics from a Methodological Perspective (R Vanderbeeken & B D''Hooghe); Introduction: Contemporary Analytic Metaphysics, Its Crisis and Challenge (R Vanderbeeken); Holism and Structural Realism (M Esfeld & V Lam); Common Sense, Relativity and Theories of Time (P Dowe); Purely Dispositional Worlds (S-H Choi); Natural Kinds OCo What Are They? (J OdrowaOCoSypniewska); Personal Identity, Conceptual Analysis and No-Fault Disagreement (C West); A World of Tropes? (A-S Maurin); Causal Pluralism (S Psillos); Why Social Emergence? Discussing the Use of Analytical Metaphysics in Social Theory (J Van Bouwel); Counterfactuals, Causation and Humean Supervenience (P Noordhof); Disentangling Causal Pluralism (L de Vreese); Mathematical Entities (L Decock). Readership: Physics, chemists and material scientist
Download or read book Worldviews Science and Us written by Robrecht Vanderbeeken and published by World Scientific. This book was released on 2010 with total page 248 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume brings together the lectures presented at the 5th Metaphysics of Science Workshop held from June 2 to 3, 2005, in Ghent, Belgium. The aim of this volume is twofold. First, it fields a selection of ongoing discussions on a central topic in contemporary analytical metaphysics. Authors were asked to encapsulate their lecture topic into a prcis, highlighting the contesting views, accentuating the pro and contra of the main arguments, and shedding light on the origin, the evolution and the eventual offspring of a respective discussion. Second, this volume addresses the methodological question by examining what can be learned if we compare these discussions from a methodological perspective. What are the red herrings and shortcomings? Is an integrated methodology possible? Does each discussion finally await a pluralism of plausible positions or will an overall convincing account be expected? And finally, can analytical metaphysics methodologically assert and investigate their basic assumptions, if not from a common sense stance?
Download or read book Worldviews Science and Us written by Diederik Aerts and published by World Scientific. This book was released on 2011-12-23 with total page 368 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The present volume is part of the ‘Worldviews, Science and Us’ series of proceedings. It contains selected contributions on the subject of bridging knowledge and its implications for our perspectives of the world. This volume also represents the proceedings of the interdisciplinary stream of the international workshop (Part 1) Times of Entanglement, 21–22 September 2010 at the Minsheng Art Museum in Shanghai, People's Republic of China in the context of the Shanghai World Expo 2010 and, related cutting-edge investigations in the quantum paradigm from discussion panels organized by the Leo Apostel Center for Interdisciplinary studies within the framework of the ‘Research on the Construction of Integrating Worldviews’ research community set up by the Flanders Fund for Scientific Research. Further information about this research community and a full list of the associated international research centers can be found at http://www.vub.ac.be/CLEA/res/worldviews/. Contents:Interdisciplinarity and Bridging Knowledge (Diederik Aerts, Jan Broekaert, Bart D'Hooghe and Nicole Note)What About Interdisciplinarity Within Philosophy? (Robrecht Vanderbeeken)History and Philosophy of Science: From Peaceful Coexistence to Golden Age of Interdisciplinarity? (Steffen Ducheyne)Can an Understanding of How Culture Evolves Awaken a Sense of Meaning in Life? (Liane Gabora)An Interdisciplinary Focus on the Concept of Causation: What Philosophy Can Learn from Psychology (Leen De Vreese)Refocusing Undecidability: Questioning the Use of the Notion of Formal Undecidability in Other Domains (Liesbeth De Mol)Can Economics Become a Purely Experimental Science? A Comparative Study (Erik Weber)Metaphysics and Cinema (Wim Christiaens)On the Role of Contextuality in the Integration of Worldviews (Bart D'Hooghe)Quantum Interference and Superposition in Cognition: A Theory for the Disjunction of Concepts (Diederik Aerts)Compatibility and Separability for Classical and Quantum Entanglement (Diederik Aerts, Christian de Ronde and Bart D'Hooghe)Quantum Programming (Ellie D'Hondt)On the Foundations of the Theory of Evolution (Diederik Aerts, Stan Bundervoet and Bart D'Hooghe)Quantum Structure in Economics: Risk Versus Ambiguity (Diederik Aerts, Jan Broekaert, Bart D'Hooghe and Sandro Sozzo)Measuring Meaning on the World-Wide Web (Diederik Aerts)Potentiality States: Quantum versus Classical Emergence (Diederik Aerts and Bart D'Hooghe)The Bodily Excess of a Worldview: Beyond a Theoretical Account of the World (Pieter Meurs)My Heart Will Go On: The Cybernetics of Organ Harvesting, Donor (Im)Mortality and the Politics of the Non-Self (Karen De Looze) Readership: Professionals, students and general public. Keywords:Worldviews;Interdisciplinarity;Entanglement;Quantum;CreativityKey Features:The participating scholars give an up-to-date and enlightening vision on the foundations, necessity and problems of the interdisciplinary approach to worldviewsThe book gives accessible expert accounts of the newly emerging field of quantum modeling in social sciencesAll contributions are new, especially written to fit the context of ‘Interdisciplinarity and Bridging Knowledge’
Download or read book Metaphysics of Science written by Markus Schrenk and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2016-08-12 with total page 500 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Metaphysics and science have a long but troubled relationship. In the twentieth century the Logical Positivists argued metaphysics was irrelevant and that philosophy should be guided by science. However, metaphysics and science attempt to answer many of the same, fundamental questions: What are laws of nature? What is causation? What are natural kinds? In this book, Markus Schrenk examines and explains the central questions and problems in the metaphysics of science. He reviews the development of the field from the early modern period through to the latest research, systematically assessing key topics including: dispositions counterfactual conditionals laws of nature causation properties natural kinds essence necessity. With the addition of chapter summaries and annotated further reading, Metaphysics of Science is a much-needed, clear and informative survey of this exciting area of philosophical research. It is essential reading for students and scholars of philosophy of science and metaphysics.
Download or read book Methodological Prospects for Scientific Research written by Wenceslao J. Gonzalez and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2020-10-30 with total page 244 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book highlights the existence of a diversity of methods in science, in general, in groups of sciences (natural, social or the artificial), and in individual sciences. This methodological variety is open to a number of consequences, such as the differences in the research according to levels of reality (micro, meso and macro), which leads to multi-scale modelling and to questioning “fundamental” parts in the sciences, understood as the necessary support for the whole discipline. In addition, this volume acknowledges the need to assess the efficacy of procedures and methods of scientific activity in engendering high quality results in research made; the relevance of contextual factors for methodology of science; the existence of a plurality of stratagems when doing research in empirical sciences (natural, social and of the artificial); and the need for an ethical component while developing scientific methods, because values should have a role in scientific research. The book is of interest to a broad audience of philosophers, academics in various fields, graduate students and research centers interested in methodology of science.
Download or read book A Theory of Truthmaking written by Jamin Asay and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2020-04-30 with total page 311 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Demonstrates how truthmaking can be used to make progress all across philosophy, but without its usual theoretical baggage.
Download or read book Individuals Across the Sciences written by Alexandre Guay and published by Oxford University Press, USA. This book was released on 2016 with total page 425 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Knowing what individuals are and how they can be identified is a crucial question for both philosophers and scientists. This volume explores how different sciences handle the issue of understanding individuality, as well as reflecting on how this scientific work relates to metaphysics itself.
Download or read book Scientonomy The Challenges of Constructing a Theory of Scientific Change written by Hakob Barseghyan and published by Vernon Press. This book was released on 2022-02-08 with total page 281 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: During the so-called ‘historical turn’ in the philosophy of science, philosophers and historians boldly argued for general patterns throughout the history of science. From Kuhn’s landmark "Structure of Scientific Revolutions" until the "Scrutinizing Science" project led by Larry Laudan, there was optimism that there could be a general theoretical approach to understanding the process of scientific change. This optimism gradually faded as historians and philosophers began to focus on the details of specific case studies located within idiosyncratic historical, cultural, and political contexts, and abandoned attempts to uncover general patterns of how scientific theories and methods change through time. Recent research has suggested that while we have learned a great deal about the diversity and complexity of scientific practices across history, the push to abandon hope for a broader understanding of scientific change was premature. Because of this, philosophers, historians, and social scientists have become interested in reviving the project of understanding the mechanism of scientific change while respecting the diversity and complexity that has been unveiled by careful historical research over the past few decades. The chapters in this volume consider a particular proposal for a general theory of how scientific theories and methods change over time, first articulated by Hakob Barseghyan in "The Laws of Scientific Change" and since developed in a series of papers by a variety of members of the scientonomy community. The chapters consider a wide range of issues, from conceptual and historical challenges to the posited intellectual patterns in the history of science, to the possibility of constructing a general theory of scientific change, to begin with. Offering a new take on the project of constructing a theory of scientific change and integrating historical, philosophical, and social studies of science, this volume will be of interest to historians, philosophers, and sociologists of science.
Download or read book A Critical Introduction to Properties written by Sophie Allen and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2016-02-25 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What do blue things have in common? Or electrons? Or planets? Distinct things appear to share properties; but what are properties and what is the best philosophical account of them? A Critical Introduction to Properties introduces different ontological accounts of properties, exploring how their formulation is shaped by the explanatory demands placed upon them. This accessible introduction begins with a discussion of universals, tropes, sets and resemblance classes, the major objections to them and their responses, providing readers with a firm grasp on the competing ontological accounts of what (if anything) grounds similarity and difference. It then explores issues concerning the formulation and justification of property theories such as: how many properties are there? Should we accept a sparse ontology of properties, or an abundant one? Can we make a distinction between intrinsic and extrinsic properties? Do properties have their causal roles necessarily? What is the relationship between properties and other metaphysical phenomena such as causality, laws and modality? These questions get to the heart of why a coherent theory of properties is so important to metaphysics, and to philosophy more generally. By concluding with the question of the ontological status of properties, the reader is introduced to some Carnapian and contemporary themes about the content and methodology of metaphysics. For students looking for an accessible resource and a more comprehensive understanding of contemporary metaphysics, A Critical Introduction to Properties is a valuable starting point.
Download or read book Worlds of ScienceCraft written by Sal Restivo and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2016-02-11 with total page 250 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A response to complex problems spanning disciplinary boundaries, Worlds of ScienceCraft offers bold new ways of conceptualizing ideas of science, sociology, and philosophy. Beginning with the historical foundations of civilization and progress, assumptions about the categories we use to talk about minds, identities, and bodies are challenged through case studies from mathematics, social cognition, and medical ethics. Offering innovative approaches to these issues, such as an integrated social brain-mind-body model and a critique of divisions between the natural and technological, this book provides novel conceptions of self, society and an emerging ’cyborg’ generation. From the micro level of brains and expanding all the way out to biopolitical civics, disciplinary boundaries are made permeable, emphasizing the increased need for interdisciplinary scholarship. By rejecting outdated and restrictive categories and classifications, new horizons in studies of science, technology, and medicine can be explored through the incorporation of feminist, international, and postmodern perspectives. A truly interdisciplinary examination of science and technology as cultural phenomena, Worlds of ScienceCraft will appeal to scholars and students of science and technology studies, as well as philosophers, historians, and sociologists of science, technology, and medicine.
Download or read book The Nietzschean Mind written by Paul Katsafanas and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2018-02-19 with total page 595 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900) is widely acknowledged as one of the greatest thinkers of the nineteenth century. His work continues to have a significant influence on philosophy, cultural criticism and modern intellectual history. The Nietzschean Mind seeks to provide a comprehensive survey of his work, not only placing it in its historical context but also exploring its contemporary significance. Comprising twenty-eight chapters by a team of international contributors, the volume is divided into seven parts: • Major works • Philosophical psychology and agency • The self • Value • Culture, society and politics • Metaphysics and epistemology • The affirmation of life This handbook includes coverage of all major aspects of Nietzsche’s thought, including his discussions of value, culture, society, the self, agency, action, philosophical psychology, epistemology and metaphysics; explorations of the philosophical and scientific influences upon Nietzsche’s thought; and discussion of Nietzsche’s major works. Essential reading for students and researchers in philosophy, Nietzsche’s work is central to ethics, moral psychology and political philosophy.
Download or read book Power and Influence written by Richard Corry and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2019-07-31 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The world is a complex place, and this complexity is an obstacle to our attempts to explain, predict, and control it. In Power and Influence, Richard Corry investigates the assumptions that are built into the reductive method of explanation—the method whereby we study the components of a complex system in relative isolation and use the information so gained to explain or predict the behaviour of the complex whole. He investigates the metaphysical presuppositions built into the reductive method, seeking to ascertain what the world must be like in order that the method could work. Corry argues that the method assumes the existence of causal powers that manifest causal influence—a relatively unrecognised ontological category, of which forces are a paradigm example. The success of the reductive method, therefore, is an argument for the existence of such causal influences. The book goes on to show that adding causal influence to our ontology gives us the resources to solve some traditional problems in the metaphysics of causal powers, laws of nature, causation, emergence, and possibly even normative ethics. What results, then, is not just an understanding of the reductive method, but an integrated metaphysical worldview that is grounded in an ontology of power and influence.
Download or read book The Spontaneous Brain written by Georg Northoff and published by MIT Press. This book was released on 2018-10-09 with total page 534 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An argument for a Copernican revolution in our consideration of mental features—a shift in which the world-brain problem supersedes the mind-body problem. Philosophers have long debated the mind-body problem—whether to attribute such mental features as consciousness to mind or to body. Meanwhile, neuroscientists search for empirical answers, seeking neural correlates for consciousness, self, and free will. In this book, Georg Northoff does not propose new solutions to the mind-body problem; instead, he questions the problem itself, arguing that it is an empirically, ontologically, and conceptually implausible way to address the existence and reality of mental features. We are better off, he contends, by addressing consciousness and other mental features in terms of the relationship between world and brain; philosophers should consider the world-brain problem rather than the mind-body problem. This calls for a Copernican shift in vantage point—from within the mind or brain to beyond the brain—in our consideration of mental features. Northoff, a neuroscientist, psychiatrist, and philosopher, explains that empirical evidence suggests that the brain's spontaneous activity and its spatiotemporal structure are central to aligning and integrating the brain within the world. This spatiotemporal structure allows the brain to extend beyond itself into body and world, creating the “world-brain relation” that is central to mental features. Northoff makes his argument in empirical, ontological, and epistemic-methodological terms. He discusses current models of the brain and applies these models to recent data on neuronal features underlying consciousness and proposes the world-brain relation as the ontological predisposition for consciousness.
Download or read book A Variety of Causes written by Paul Noordhof and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2020-09-03 with total page 576 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is the first book length defence of a counterfactual theory of causation. The analysis defended is new. It expresses the idea that, independent of its competitors, a cause raises the chance of an effect over its mean background chance by a complete causal chain. The analysis depends upon a novel development of David Lewis's Theory of Counterfactuals. One consequence of the analysis is that causation is not transitive. Causation is also nonsymmetric. The counterfactual basis of causal nonsymmetry is the result of a number of different, and sometimes interacting, nonsymmetries. The analysis allows for the development of a novel theory of events whose nature is independent of their role in causation and the identification of one other important causal relationship: property causation. Although compatible with Hume's denial of necessary connections between distinct existences, a key feature of the theory is that it benefits from being independent of the Humean framework. There are two ways in which something may be metaphysically fundamental: vertically and horizontally. Many metaphysicians emphasise vertical fundamentality and focus on truth making. The book rejects this emphasis and the truth making approach in particular. Horizontally fundamental metaphysical entities are those that are necessary components in different possible universes. Causation has a claim to be horizontally fundamental: the cement of any universe. Laws are patterns of causation realised in different metaphysical frameworks such as those articulated by Lewis, Armstrong and the powers ontologists. The book recognises varieties of causation both in, for example, counting cases of double prevention and causation by genuine processes as types of causation, and allowing that the analysis identifies causes across these different metaphysical frameworks.
Download or read book The Bloomsbury Companion to the Philosophy of Science written by Steven French and published by A&C Black. This book was released on 2014-07-31 with total page 488 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Bloomsbury Companion to the Philosophy of Science presents a practical and up-to-date research resource to the philosophy of science. Addressing fundamental questions asked by areas that have continued to attract interest historically, as well as recently-emerging areas of research, this volume provides a comprehensive and up-to-date overview of the philosophy of science. Specially-commissioned essays from an international team of experts reveal where important work continues to be done in the area and the exciting new directions the field is taking. The Companion explores issues pertaining to the philosophy of specific sciences (physics, biology, neuroscience, economics, chemistry and mathematics) and general issues in the field, such as explanation, realism, representation, evidence, reduction, laws, causation and confirmation. Featuring a series of indispensable research tools, including an A to Z of key terms and concepts, a chronology, a detailed list of resources and a fully annotated bibliography, The Bloomsbury Companion to the Philosophy of Science the essential reference tool for anyone working in philosophy of science today.
Download or read book Including a Symposium on Bruce Caldwell s Beyond Positivism after 35 Years written by Luca Fiorito and published by Emerald Group Publishing. This book was released on 2018-05-18 with total page 203 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Volume 36A of Research in the History of Economic Thought and Methodology features a symposium on Bruce Caldwell’s Beyond Positivism after 35 years. The volume also features general-research essays from Luis Mireles-Flores and Alain Marciano. Luca Fiorito presents a new discovery from the archives.
