This volume distinguishes between two main traditions in the philosophy of science - the aristotelian, with its stress on explanation in terms of purpose and intentionality, and the galilean, which takes causal explanation as primary. It then traces the complex history of these competing traditions as they are manifested in such movements as positivism, idealism, Marxism and contemporary linguistic analysis. Hempels's theory of scientific explanation, the claims of cybernetics the rise of an analytic philosophy of action and the revival of hermenuetics are all discussed. The volume also deals with causal explanation, intentionality and teleological explanation, and explanation in history and the social sciences. The author concludes that explanation of human actions cannot be reduced to simple causality, and discusses the implications of this conclusion for the disciplines of history and sociology.
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The late G. H. von Wright, who succeeded Wittgenstein in the Faculty of Philosophy at the University of Cambridge and served as one of three executors of the Wittgenstein estate, was a visiting professor at Cornell University from 1965 to 1977 and finished his career at the University of Helsinki. His many books include The Varieties of Goodness, Norm and Action, The Logic of Preference, and Freedom and Determination.
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First Sentence:
1. Scientific inquiry, seen in a very broad perspective, may be said to present two main aspects. Read the first page Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
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1. Scientific inquiry, seen in a very broad perspective, may be said to present two main aspects. Read the first page Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Miss Anscombe New!
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Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
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This book cites 48
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- The Explanation of Behaviour by Charles Taylor in Front Matter, page 27, and Back Matter
- Laws and Explanation in History by William H. Dray on page 24, page 25, and Back Matter
- British Analytical Philosophy by Bernard Williams in Back Matter (1), Back Matter (2), and Back Matter (3)
- The Nature of Historical Explanation by Patrick L. Gardiner on page 25, and Back Matter
- The Idea of a Social Science: And its Relation to Philosophy by Peter Winch on page 28, and Back Matter
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- Analytic Philosophy in Finland (Poznan Studies in the Philosophy of the Sciences and the Humanities 80) (Poznan Studies in the Philosophy of the Sciences & the Humanities) by Leila Haaparanta on 12 pages
- Doing Things for Reasons by Rï¿1/2diger Bittner on 4 pages
- Time and Narrative, Volume 1 (Time & Narrative) by Paul Ricoeur in Back Matter (1), Back Matter (2), and Back Matter (3)
- Action, Intention, and Reason by Robert Audi on page 121, page 122, and page 171
- Human Nature, Ritual, and History: Studies in Xunzi and Chinese Philosophy (Studies in Philosophy & the History of Philosophy) by A. S. Cua on page 248, page 253, and Back Matter
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