A Historical Introduction to the Philosophy of Science (Opus) [Paperback]

John Losee (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 21, 1993 | ISBN-10: 0192892479 | ISBN-13: 978-0192892478 | Edition: 3

This new edition brings up to date this accessible study of the philosophy of science. Since the time of Plato and Aristotle, scientists and philosophers have raised questions about the proper evaluation of scientific interpretations. A Historical Introduction to the Philosophy of Science is an exposition of differing viewpoints on issues such as the distinction between scientific inquiry and other types of interpretation, the relationship between theories and observation reports; the evaluation of competing theories; and the nature of progress in science. The author makes accessible the philosophy of science to readers who may not have extensive knowledge of formal logic or the history of the several sciences. The third edition incorporates an extended discussion of recent developments. Historicist critics of Logical Empiricism have established that evaluative standards and cognitive aims have changed within the history of science. This edition examines these changes, the recent controversies over scientific realism, casual theories of explanation, Bayesian theories of confirmation, and the search for a non-prescriptive philosophy of science. philosophers have raised questions about the proper evaluation of scientific interpretations. This is a lucid and accessible introduction to the philosophy of science, ideal for readers who may not have the extensive knowledge of formal logic or the history of the several sciences. This new edition includes an extended discussion of such recent developments and controversies as new approaches to evaluative standards and cognitive aims, scientific realism, causal theories of explanation, Bayesian theories of confirmation, and the search for a non-prescriptive philosophy of science.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"An excellent text. Utterly unique in its depth of historical material."--Michael Goodman, Humboldt State University

"[A] well-known and widely used text.....As in the earlier editions the same writing style and format for organizing the material are preserved. As a result the book rigidly stays at the level of presenting only carefully condensed factual presentations in serial order of the individual authors involved, and scrupulously avoids any critical evaluations or comparisons of the philosophies of science sketched out for the reader."--Physis

"This is a concise and authorative summary of ideas about the scientific methods from antiquity to the present day, hence an invaluable source to students and teachers of philosophy and the history of science."--Kenneth A.R. Kennedy, Cornell University

About the Author

John Losee is Professor of Philosophy at Lafayette College, USA.
--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA; 3 edition (October 21, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0192892479
• ISBN-13: 978-0192892478
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,632,916 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars As the title says, November 10, 2003

By 

"pose21" (Pgh. PA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Historical Introduction to the Philosophy of Science (OPUS) (Paperback)

this is an introduction to the history of philosophical thinking throughout history, not an indepth treatment of ethics throughout history as one reviewer criticised it for not being (something it never stated it was).

It is thorough without being overwhelming for someone interested in an introduction to philosopphy, and it is interesting not dry and boring or hard to follow as many philosophy books can prove to be.

It is exactly what it says it is and does a good job at it.

12 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A nice little volume, December 30, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: A Historical Introduction to the Philosophy of Science (Opus) (Paperback)

Losse starts with the Pythagoreans, the atomists, and Aristotle. He ends up discussing Popper, Hempel, Kuhn, Feyerband, Lakatos, and a variety of contemporary philosophers. It's densely packed, and for novices to philosophy or logic it might take some effort, but for those with a little background it is easy and, at least for me, fun.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Superb HISTORY, December 1, 2005

By 

sargoxyz - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Historical Introduction to the Philosophy of Science (OPUS) (Paperback)

This is not an introduction to philosophy of science; it is a history of the evolution of philosophy of science. As such, it serves its purpose very well.