What Is This Thing Called Science?

by Chalmers, A. F.

• ISBN13: 9780872204522
• ISBN10: 0872204529
• Edition: 3rd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1999-03-01
• Publisher: Hackett Pub Co Inc

Table of Contents

Preface to the first edition	xi
Preface to the second edition	xiv
Preface to the third edition	xvi
Introduction	xix
Science as knowledge derived from the facts of experience	1	(18)
A widely held commonsense view of science	1	(3)
Seeing is believing	4	(1)
Visual experiences not determined solely by the object viewed	5	(5)
Observable facts expressed as statements	10	(2)
Why should facts precede theory?	12	(2)
The Fallibility of observation statements	14	(4)
Further reading	18	(1)
Observation as practical intervention	19	(8)
Observation: passive and private or active and public?	19	(3)
Galileo and the moons of Jupiter	22	(2)
Observable facts objective but fallible	24	(2)
Further reading	26	(1)
Experiment	27	(14)
Not just facts but relevant facts	27	(2)
The production and updating of experimental results	29	(2)
Transforming the experimental base of science: historical examples	31	(7)
Experiment as an adequate basis for science	38	(2)
Further reading	40	(1)
Deriving theories from the facts: Induction	41	(18)
Introduction	41	(1)
Baby logic	41	(2)
Can scientific laws be derived from the facts?	43	(2)
What constitutes a good inductive argument?	45	(4)
Further problems with inductivism	49	(4)
The appeal of inductivism	53	(5)
Further reading	58	(1)
Introducing falsificationism	59	(15)
Introduction	59	(1)
A logical point in favour of falsificationism	60	(1)
Falsifiability as a criterion for theories	61	(4)
Degree of falsifiability, clarity and precision	65	(4)
Falsificationism and progress	69	(4)
Further reading	73	(1)
Sophisticated falsificationism, novel predictions and the growth of science	74	(13)
Relative rather than absolute degrees of falsifiability	74	(1)
Increasing falsifiability and ad hoc modifications	75	(3)
Confirmation in the falsificationist account of science	78	(3)
Boldness, novelty and background knowledge	81	(2)
Comparison of the inductivist and falsificationist view of confirmation	83	(1)
Advantages of falsificationism over inductivism	84	(2)
Further reading	86	(1)
The limitations of falsificationism	87	(17)
Problems stemming from the logical situation	87	(4)
Falsificationism inadequate on historical grounds	91	(1)
The Copernican Revolution	92	(9)
Inadequacies of the falsificationist demarcation criterion and Popper's response	101	(2)
Further reading	103	(1)
Theories as structures I: Kuhn's paradigms	104	(26)
Theories as structures	104	(3)
Introducing Thomas Kuhn	107	(1)
Paradigms and normal science	108	(4)
Crisis and revolution	112	(5)
The function of normal science and revolutions	117	(2)
The merits of Kuhn's account of science	119	(3)
Kuhn's ambivalence on progress through revolutions	122	(2)
Objective knowledge	124	(5)
Further reading	129	(1)
Theories as structures II: Research programs	130	(19)
Introducing Imre Lakatos	130	(1)
Lakatos's research programs	131	(5)
Methodology within a program and the comparison of programs	136	(2)
Novel predictions	138	(3)
Testing the methodology against history	141	(3)
Problems with Lakatos's methodology	144	(4)
Further reading	148	(1)
Feyerabend's anarchistic theory of science	149	(12)
The story so far	149	(1)
Feyerabend's case against method	150	(5)
Feyerabend's advocacy of freedom	155	(2)
Critique of Feyerabend's individualism	157	(2)
Further reading	159	(2)
Methodical changes in method	161	(13)
Against universal method	161	(2)
Telescopic for naked-eye data: a change in standards	163	(5)
Piecemeal change of theory, method and standards	168	(3)
A light-hearted interlude	171	(2)
Further reading	173	(1)
The Bayesian approach	174	(19)
Introduction	174	(1)
Bayes' theorem	175	(2)
Subjective Bayesianism	177	(4)
Applications of the Bayesian formula	181	(6)
Critique of subjective Bayesianism	187	(5)
Further reading	192	(1)
The new experimentalism	193	(20)
Introduction	193	(1)
Experiment with life of its own	194	(4)
Deborah Mayo on severe experimental testing	198	(4)
Learning from error and triggering revolutions	202	(3)
The new experimentalism in perspective	205	(5)
Appendix: Happy meetings of theory and experiment	210	(2)
Further reading	212	(1)
Why should the world obey laws?	213	(13)
Introduction	213	(1)
Laws as regularities	214	(3)
Laws as characterisations of powers or dispositions	217	(4)
Thermodynamic and conservation laws	221	(4)
Further reading	225	(1)
Realism and anti-realism	226	(21)
Introduction	226	(1)
Global anti-realism: language, truth and reality	227	(5)
Anti-realism	232	(1)
Some standard objections and the anti-realist response	233	(5)
Scientific realism and conjectural realism	238	(3)
Idealisation	241	(2)
Unrepresentative realism or structural realism	243	(3)
Further reading	246	(1)
Epilogue	247	(7)
Further reading	253	(1)
Notes	254	(2)
Bibliography	256	(8)
Index of names	264