Readings in the Philosophy of Science: From Positivism to Postmodernism

by Theodore Schick Jr.

This anthology traces the development of thinking in the philosophy of science from logical positivism to the present. Subsequent articles often clarify or critique preceding ones. As a result, students get a sense of how philosophical theories develop in response to one another.

Genres: Philosophy, Science, Nonfiction

393 pages, Paperback

First published December 10, 1999

Reviews

[Rook Andalus · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is organized under 9 sections each containing several papers and excerpts written by well-known philosophers of science. Each section deals with a major theme in the philosophy of science such as the nature of scientific theories, reason vs. faith, some contemporary issues like the philosophy of physics, psychology and biology, and more.
What makes this book unique is that each paper (or excerpt) is followed by a paper (or excerpt) supporting an opposing argument to one just presented. The juxtaposition of two texts provides the reader with adequate material with which to ponder. The author's purpose does not appear to give the reader two options from which to choose the "better" argument, for this would be the fallacy of false alternative... nor does the author do this to encourage the reader to find a "happy" compromise between opposing arguments, for this would be utilizing the defeated Socratic dialectic... the purpose is to promote critical thinking in the reader. Analogically speaking, this book is to the reader (philosopher) what weights are to a body builder. It is the food for thought! A well-organized intelligent read I highly recommend!

[Alexa · Rating 5 out of 5]

A decent introduction to the history of ideas in the philosophy of science. This isn't so much a "this is what you should believe" textbook...it's more of a "this is what philosopher A said and here's why he thought this".

[Jonathan]

None

[Jay D · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good textbook, but full of a shit ton of b.s.