This balanced and up-to-date introduction to the philosophy of science covers all the main topics in the area, and initiates the student into the moral and social reality of science. O'Hear discusses the growth of knowledge of science, the status of scientific theories and their relationship to observational data, the extent to which scientific theories rest on unprovable paradigms, and the nature of scientific explanations. In later chapters he considers probability, scientific reductionism, the relationship between science and technology, and the relationship between scientific and other values.
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Editorial Reviews
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"Succeeds in being a balanced, up-to-date critical survey of some main topics in philosophy of science....In a mixed class of students, which span the range of familiarity with philosophy and science, O'Hear's book is a good choice for the first text to be used, something which tells students what philosophy of science is all about."--Teaching Philosophy
"This highly readable and intelligent book is the best text on the subject in print."--Alan G. Padgett, Azusa Pacific University
"A good intermediate level introduction."--James McJ. Robertson, Cogswell College
"A wonderful book. It deals with the most interesting issues in the philosophy of science and does so in a most interesting way. It is also accessible to undergraduates."--Wendell O'Brien, Moorhead State University
"The book is very well written, nicely organized, and nontechnical. This reviewer knows of no better comprehensive introductory overview of the main problems in contemporary philosophy of science....Highly recommended for any library supporting academic work at any level in philosophy or in any of the natural sciences."--Choice
About the Author
Anthony O'Hear is at University of Bradford.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Pretty Darn Good,
This review is from: Introduction to the Philosophy of Science (Paperback)
I disagree with the person who wrote the first review of this book. I thought this book was well-written, with interesting insights into the nature of science, and penetrating criticisms of some of the better-known philosophers who have written about the subject. I am always looking for clear prose, and this book has it. I recommend this book to anyone interested in the philosophy of science, philosophy in general, and taut writing.
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The product made it to its destination the day before it was actually expected. The book was in good condition, as well.
2 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
A boring book on a topic I find thrilling.,
By Adam Nance (Seattle) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Introduction to the Philosophy of Science (Paperback)
I haven't done a lot of reading in this area, but there MUST be better books out there on this topic. In 239 pages O'Hear told me all about how Kuhn and Popper and Feyerabend have it all wrong, and (of course) Anthony O'Hear knows exactly how we should be evaluating science from a philosophical perspective.I am not an expert on Kuhn or Popper or Feyerabend, but I know this--they write books that are a lot better than Anthony O'Hear's "Introduction to the Philosophy of Science."
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Inside This Book
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First Sentence:
There is no institution in the modern world more prestigious than science. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
propensity theory, consecutive sixes, frequency theory, scientific reduction, demarcation criterion, probabilistic theories, unobservable entities, severe testing Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Clarendon Press, Karl Popper, The Logic of Scientific Discovery, Novum Organum, Oxford University Press, The Open Universe, Francis Bacon, Kegan Paul, Law of Large Numbers, Cambridge University Press, Mary Hesse, Nancy Cartwright, Newton's Third Law New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
There is no institution in the modern world more prestigious than science. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
propensity theory, consecutive sixes, frequency theory, scientific reduction, demarcation criterion, probabilistic theories, unobservable entities, severe testing Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Clarendon Press, Karl Popper, The Logic of Scientific Discovery, Novum Organum, Oxford University Press, The Open Universe, Francis Bacon, Kegan Paul, Law of Large Numbers, Cambridge University Press, Mary Hesse, Nancy Cartwright, Newton's Third Law New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 53
books:
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9
books
cite this book:
See all 9 books citing this book
- The Logic of Scientific Discovery (Routledge Classics) by Karl Popper on 6 pages
- The Scientific Image (Clarendon Library of Logic & Philosophy) by Bas. C. van Fraassen on 5 pages
- How the Laws of Physics Lie by Nancy Cartwright on 4 pages
- The Structure of Scientific Revolutions by Thomas S. Kuhn on 4 pages
- Probability and Evidence (Columbia Classics in Philosophy) by A. J. Ayer on page 148, page 165, and page 168
See all 53 books this book cites
- The Fortune Sellers: The Big Business of Buying and Selling Predictions by William A. Sherden in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
- The Ascent of Science by Brian L. Silver in Back Matter
- Philosophy Then and Now: An Introductory Text with Readings by N. Scott Arnold on page 337
- The Edinburgh Encyclopedia of Continental Philosophy by Simon Glendinning on page 395
- Philosophy: The Basics by Nigel Warburton on page 127
See all 9 books citing this book
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