The Comprehensibility of the Universe A New Conception of Science

by Maxwell, Nicholas

• ISBN13: 9780198237761
• ISBN10: 0198237766
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 1999-02-04
• Publisher: Clarendon Press

Summary

This book puts forth a radically new conception of science. Maxwell argues that the prevailing view of the relation between scientific theory and evidence is untenable; he calls for a new orthodoxy that sees science as making a hierarchy of assumptions about the comprehensibility of the universe. This new conception has significant implications for both philosophy and science, promises to heal the rift between the two, and will be essential reading for people working in both fields.

Table of Contents

List of Figures and Tables	xiv	(1)
List of Abbreviations	xv
1. A NEW CONCEPTION OF SCIENCE	1	(35)
1. How does science make progress?	1	(1)
2. The orthodox conception of science is untenable	2	(2)
3. The fundamental epistemological dilemma of science	4	(2)
4. Aim-oriented empiricism	6	(7)
5. How aim-oriented empiricism solves the fundamental dilemma	13	(4)
6. Aim-oriented empiricism as the key to scientific progress	17	(2)
7. Traditional rationalism and empiricism	19	(2)
8. Clashing principles	21	(2)
9. From standard to aim-oriented empiricism	23	(3)
10. Implications of adopting the new conception of science	26	(6)
11. Can philosophy of science have implications for science?	32	(1)
12. The limitations of physics	33	(1)
13. Plan of the book	34	(2)
2. THE FAILINGS OF STANDARD EMPIRICISM	36	(39)
1. Failure of standard empiricism to do justice to achievements of modern science	36	(1)
2. Bare and dressed standard empiricism	37	(1)
3. How widely held is standard empiricism?	38	(7)
4. Ten problems standard empiricism cannot solve	45	(1)
5. The ten problems concern natural science as a whole and not just theoretical physics	46	(1)
6. Fundamental objection to standard empiricism	46	(1)
7. Three problems of induction	47	(9)
8. Two problems of simplicity	56	(12)
9. Two problems about evidence	68	(1)
10. Three problems of scientific progress	69	(5)
11. Conclusion	74	(1)
3. COMPREHENSIBILITY	75	(28)
1. Introduction	75	(1)
2. What does comprehensibility mean?	75	(3)
3. Unity through diversity: the Presocratics	78	(2)
4. Blueprints for a physically comprehensible universe	80	(9)
5. Aspects of physical comprehensibility	89	(4)
6. From non-aberrance to unity	93	(10)
4. SIMPLICITY	103	(61)
1. Introduction	103	(1)
2. Pragmatic and epistemological notions of simplicity	103	(1)
3. Diverse aspects of the problem of what simplicity is	104	(2)
4. How aim-oriented empiricism solves the problem of what simplicity is	106	(3)
5. Content and form	109	(1)
6. Terminological simplicity	110	(3)
7. Further questions	113	(5)
8. Is physicalism meaningful?	118	(2)
9. Unity throughout diversity	120	(1)
10. The problematic vagueness of physicalism	121	(2)
11. Two examples of theoretical unification from the history of physics	123	(8)
12. Global and local gauge invariance of Maxwell's equations	131	(1)
13. Further unifying achievements of modern physics	132	(9)
14. How can what exists at one instant necessarily determine what exists subsequently?	141	(14)
15. Goodman-type objections	155	(2)
16. Simplicity	157	(2)
17. How is the physical comprehensibility of a new theory to be assessed?	159	(4)
18. Conclusion	163	(1)
5. INDUCTION	164	(45)
1. Introduction	164	(1)
2. Outline of the solution and three objections answered	165	(3)
3. Rivals to comprehensibility	168	(4)
4. The induction theorem	172	(1)
5. Proof of the induction theorem	173	(20)
r = 2	175	(2)
r = 3	177	(3)
r = 4	180	(3)
r = 5	183	(1)
r = 6	184	(1)
r = 7	184	(2)
r = 10	186	(1)
r = 9	187	(4)
r = 8	191	(2)
6. Knowledge must be explanatory	193	(3)
7. Necessary connections	196	(3)
8. All three problems of induction solved	199	(2)
9. Reply to objections	201	(8)
6. EVIDENCE, PROGRESS, AND DISCOVERY	209	(19)
1. Introduction	209	(1)
2. Two problems about evidence	209	(2)
3. Two problems about scientific progress	211	(8)
4. A problem concerning scientific discovery	219	(4)
5. Is aim-oriented empiricism required for the solution to the ten problems?	223	(5)
7. QUANTUM THEORY	228	(27)
1. Why orthodox quantum theory poses a challenge for aim-oriented empiricism	228	(2)
2. Six defects of orthodox quantum theory that result from the failure to solve the wave/particle problem	230	(5)
3. Probabilism as the key to the solution to the great quantum mystery	235	(12)
4. When do probabilistic jumps occur? An idea as old as quantum theory itself	247	(2)
5. The precise postulate	249	(3)
6. Why has the idea been ignored?	252	(1)
7. Conclusion	253	(2)
Mathematical and Physical Appendix	255	(14)
1. Differential equations	255	(1)
2. Maxwell's equations of the electromagnetic field	256	(1)
3. The role of symmetry and group theory in physics	257	(5)
4. Is symmetry necessary for unity, or is it just one possible ingredient?	262	(2)
5. Groups and matrices	264	(1)
6. Introduction to quantum theory	265	(4)
Notes	269	(28)
References	297	(10)
Index	307