0
Your cart

Your cart is empty

Browse All Departments
Price
  • R100 - R250 (9)
  • R250 - R500 (233)
  • R500+ (5,131)
  • -
Status
Format
Author / Contributor
Publisher

Books > Science & Mathematics > Science: general issues > Philosophy of science

A Philosophy for the Science of Animal Consciousness (Paperback): Walter Veit A Philosophy for the Science of Animal Consciousness (Paperback)
Walter Veit
R1,318 Discovery Miles 13 180 Ships in 10 - 15 working days

This book attempts to advance Donald Griffin's vision of the "final, crowning chapter of the Darwinian revolution" by developing a philosophy for the science of animal consciousness. It advocates a Darwinian bottom-up approach that treats consciousness as a complex, evolved, and multi-dimensional phenomenon in nature, rather than a mysterious all-or-nothing property immune to the tools of science and restricted to a single species. The so-called emergence of a science of consciousness in the 1990s has at best been a science of human consciousness. This book aims to advance a true Darwinian science of consciousness in which its evolutionary origin, function, and phylogenetic diversity are moved from the field's periphery to its very centre; thus enabling us to integrate consciousness into an evolutionary view of life. Accordingly, this book has two objectives: (i) to argue for the need and possibility of an evolutionary bottom-up approach that addresses the problem of consciousness in terms of the evolutionary origins of a new ecological lifestyle that made consciousness worth having, and (ii) to articulate a thesis and beginnings of a theory of the place of consciousness as a complex evolved phenomenon in nature that can help us to answer the question of what it is like to be a bat, an octopus, or a crow. A Philosophy for the Science of Animal Consciousness will appeal to researchers and advanced students interested in advancing our understanding of animal minds, as well as anyone with a keen interest in how we can develop a science of animal consciousness.

Kant, Science, and Human Nature (Hardcover): Robert Hanna Kant, Science, and Human Nature (Hardcover)
Robert Hanna
R4,460 Discovery Miles 44 600 Ships in 10 - 15 working days

Robert Hanna argues for the importance of Kant's theories of the epistemological, metaphysical, and practical foundations of the 'exact sciences'-- relegated to the dustbin of the history of philosophy for most of the 20th century. Hanna's earlier book Kant and the Foundations of Analytic Philosophy (OUP 2001), explores basic conceptual and historical connections between Immanuel Kant's 18th-century Critical Philosophy and the tradition of mainstream analytic philosophy from Frege to Quine. The central topics of the analytic tradition in its early and middle periods were meaning and necessity. But the central theme of mainstream analytic philosophy after 1950 is scientific naturalism, which holds--to use Wilfrid Sellars's apt phrase--that 'science is the measure of all things'. This type of naturalism is explicitly reductive. Kant, Science, and Human Nature has two aims, one negative and one positive. Its negative aim is to develop a Kantian critique of scientific naturalism. But its positive and more fundamental aim is to work out the elements of a humane, realistic, and nonreductive Kantian account of the foundations of the exact sciences. According to this account, the essential properties of the natural world are directly knowable through human sense perception (empirical realism), and practical reason is both explanatorily and ontologically prior to theoretical reason (the primacy of the practical).

Physics, Philosophy, and Theology - A Common Quest for Understanding (Hardcover): Robert John Russell, William R. Stoeger,... Physics, Philosophy, and Theology - A Common Quest for Understanding (Hardcover)
Robert John Russell, William R. Stoeger, Francisco J. Ayala, C.V. Coyne
R4,149 Discovery Miles 41 490 Ships in 10 - 15 working days
Psychoanalysis of Science - The Role of Metaphor, Paraprax, Lacunae and Myth (Hardcover): Yehoyakim Stein Psychoanalysis of Science - The Role of Metaphor, Paraprax, Lacunae and Myth (Hardcover)
Yehoyakim Stein
R3,544 Discovery Miles 35 440 Ships in 10 - 15 working days

By systematically deconstructing and analyzing scientific texts for irrational unconscious motivations, new scientific associations can be produced. Four categories are suggested in this book as guidelines for the analysis of science: metaphors, scientific parapraxes, lacunae, and scientific myths. The most important are the conceptual lacunae, for they constitute an integral part of the scientific construction. Three types of lacunae are discussed, each deriving from a different hidden motive: the blurring of a scientific problem in order to preserve the intactness of a theory (the post-traumatic dream); the epistemological double split which reflects the discrepancy between what we wish to see and what we actually see; and the difficulty of dealing with phenomena that evoke deep, primary fears (fantasies about the inside of the body). Examples from various disciplines are discussed in order to show that unconscious elements in science are a universal phenomenon. The function of scie

Studies in Scientific Realism (Hardcover, New): Andre Kukla Studies in Scientific Realism (Hardcover, New)
Andre Kukla
R4,256 Discovery Miles 42 560 Ships in 10 - 15 working days

This book offers a superbly clear analysis of the standard arguments for and against scientific realism. In surveying claims on both sides of the debate, Kukla organizes them in ways that expose unnoticed connections. He identifies broad patterns of error, reconciles seemingly incompatible positions, and discovers unoccupied positions with the potential to influence further debate. Kukla's overall assessment is that neither the realists nor the antirealists may claim a decisive victory.

The Darkness Manifesto - How light pollution threatens the ancient rhythms of life (Hardcover): Johan Ekloef The Darkness Manifesto - How light pollution threatens the ancient rhythms of life (Hardcover)
Johan Ekloef; Translated by Elizabeth De Noma
R466 Discovery Miles 4 660 Ships in 10 - 15 working days

**A FINANCIAL TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR 2022** 'Powerful... a clarion call for change', New Statesman 'Poetic and philosophical at times, intimate and expansive at others', Daily Telegraph How much light is too much light? The Darkness Manifesto urges us to cherish natural darkness for the sake of the environment, our own wellbeing, and all life on earth. The world's flora and fauna have evolved to operate in the natural cycle of day and night. But constant illumination has made light pollution a major issue. From space, our planet glows brightly, 24/7. By extending our day, we have forced out the inhabitants of the night and disrupted the circadian rhythms necessary to sustain all living things. Our cities' streetlamps and neon signs are altering entire ecosystems. Johan Ekloef encourages us to appreciate natural darkness and its unique benefits. He also writes passionately about the domino effect of damage we inflict by keeping the lights on: insects failing to reproduce; birds blinded and bewildered; bats starving as they wait in vain for insects that only come out in the dark. And humans can find that our hormones, weight and mental well-being are all impacted. Eye-opening and ultimately encouraging, The Darkness Manifesto offers simple steps that can benefit ourselves and the planet. The light bulb - long the symbol of progress - needs to be turned off. To ensure a bright future, we must embrace the darkness

Choice, Not Fate - Shaping a Sustainable Future in the Space Age (Hardcover): James A. Vedda Choice, Not Fate - Shaping a Sustainable Future in the Space Age (Hardcover)
James A. Vedda
R868 Discovery Miles 8 680 Ships in 10 - 15 working days
Domesticity in the Making of Modern Science (Hardcover, 1st ed. 2016): Donald L. Opitz, Staffan Bergwik, Brigitte Van Tiggelen Domesticity in the Making of Modern Science (Hardcover, 1st ed. 2016)
Donald L. Opitz, Staffan Bergwik, Brigitte Van Tiggelen
R4,043 Discovery Miles 40 430 Ships in 10 - 15 working days

The history of the modern sciences has long overlooked the significance of domesticity as a physical, social, and symbolic force in the shaping of knowledge production. This book provides a welcome reorientation to our understanding of the making of the modern sciences globally by emphasizing the centrality of domesticity in diverse scientific enterprises.

The Philosophy of Philip Kitcher (Hardcover): Mark Couch, Jessica Pfeifer The Philosophy of Philip Kitcher (Hardcover)
Mark Couch, Jessica Pfeifer
R2,598 Discovery Miles 25 980 Ships in 10 - 15 working days

The Philosophy of Philip Kitcher contains eleven chapters on the work of noted philosopher Philip Kitcher, whose work is known for its broad range and insightfulness. Topics covered include philosophy of science, philosophy of biology, philosophy of mathematics, ethics, epistemology, and philosophy of religion. Each of the chapters is followed by a reply from Kitcher himself. This first significant edited volume devoted to examining Kitcher's work is an essential reference for anyone interested in understanding this important philosopher.

The Principles of Quantum Theory, From Planck's Quanta to the Higgs Boson - The Nature of Quantum Reality and the Spirit... The Principles of Quantum Theory, From Planck's Quanta to the Higgs Boson - The Nature of Quantum Reality and the Spirit of Copenhagen (Hardcover, 1st ed. 2016)
Arkady Plotnitsky
R2,926 Discovery Miles 29 260 Ships in 10 - 15 working days

The book considers foundational thinking in quantum theory, focusing on the role the fundamental principles and principle thinking there, including thinking that leads to the invention of new principles, which is, the book contends, one of the ultimate achievements of theoretical thinking in physics and beyond. The focus on principles, prominent during the rise and in the immediate aftermath of quantum theory, has been uncommon in more recent discussions and debates concerning it. The book argues, however, that exploring the fundamental principles and principle thinking is exceptionally helpful in addressing the key issues at stake in quantum foundations and the seemingly interminable debates concerning them. Principle thinking led to major breakthroughs throughout the history of quantum theory, beginning with the old quantum theory and quantum mechanics, the first definitive quantum theory, which it remains within its proper (nonrelativistic) scope. It has, the book also argues, been equally important in quantum field theory, which has been the frontier of quantum theory for quite a while now, and more recently, in quantum information theory, where principle thinking was given new prominence. The approach allows the book to develop a new understanding of both the history and philosophy of quantum theory, from Planck's quantum to the Higgs boson, and beyond, and of the thinking the key founding figures, such as Einstein, Bohr, Heisenberg, Schroedinger, and Dirac, as well as some among more recent theorists. The book also extensively considers the nature of quantum probability, and contains a new interpretation of quantum mechanics, "the statistical Copenhagen interpretation." Overall, the book's argument is guided by what Heisenberg called "the spirit of Copenhagen," which is defined by three great divorces from the preceding foundational thinking in physics-reality from realism, probability from causality, and locality from relativity-and defined the fundamental principles of quantum theory accordingly.

More And Different: Notes From A Thoughtful Curmudgeon (Paperback): Philip W. Anderson More And Different: Notes From A Thoughtful Curmudgeon (Paperback)
Philip W. Anderson
R1,051 Discovery Miles 10 510 Ships in 10 - 15 working days

Named a Top Five Book of 2012 by Physics Today, USA."Anderson has put together an entertaining and instructive collection of highly readable reviews, columns, talks, and unpublished essays on science and the scientists he has known. He is rarely inappropriately provocative, and he is a pleasure to read."Physics TodayPhilip Anderson was educated at University High School in Urbana, Illinois, at Harvard (BS 1943, PhD 1949), and further educated at Bell Laboratories, where his career (1949-1984) coincided with the greatest period of that remarkable institution. Starting in 1967, he shared his time with Cambridge University (until 1975) and then with Princeton, where he continued full time as Joseph Henry Professor until 1997. As an emeritus he remains active in research, and at press time he was involved in several scientific controversies about high profile subjects, in which his point of view, though unpopular at the moment, is likely to prevail eventually. His colleagues have made him one of the two physicists most often cited in the scientific literature, for several decades.His work is characterized by mathematical simplicity combined with conceptual depth, and by profound respect for experimental findings. He has explored areas outside his main discipline, the quantum theory of condensed matter (for which he won the 1977 Nobel Prize), on several occasions: his paper on what is now called the "Anderson-Higgs mechanism" was a main source for Peter Higgs' elucidation of the boson; a crucial insight led to work on the dynamics of neutron stars (pulsars); and his concept of the spin glass led far afield, to developments in practical computer algorithms and neural nets, and eventually to his involvement in the early years of the Santa Fe Institute and his co-leadership with Kenneth Arrow of two influential workshops on economics at that institution. His writing career started with a much-quoted article in Science titled "More is Different" in 1971; he was an occasional columnist for Physics Today in the 1980s and 1990s. He was more recently a reviewer of science and science-related books for the Times (London) Higher Education Supplement as well as an occasional contributor to Science, Nature, and other journals.

Pragmatism and the Search for Coherence in Neuroscience (Hardcover, 1st ed. 2015): Jay Schulkin Pragmatism and the Search for Coherence in Neuroscience (Hardcover, 1st ed. 2015)
Jay Schulkin
R2,080 R1,878 Discovery Miles 18 780 Save R202 (10%) Ships in 10 - 15 working days

We have known for over a thousand years that the brain underlies behavioral expression, but effective scientific study of the brain is only very recent. Two things converge in this book: a great respect for neuroscience and its many variations, and a sense of investigation and inquiry demythologized. Think of it as foraging for coherence.

The Quantum Mechanics Conundrum - Interpretation and Foundations (Hardcover, 1st ed. 2019): Gennaro Auletta The Quantum Mechanics Conundrum - Interpretation and Foundations (Hardcover, 1st ed. 2019)
Gennaro Auletta
R6,086 Discovery Miles 60 860 Ships in 10 - 15 working days

This comprehensive volume gives a balanced and systematic treatment of both the interpretation and the mathematical-conceptual foundations of quantum mechanics. It is written in a pedagogical style and addresses many thorny problems of fundamental physics. The first aspect concerns Interpretation. The author raises the central problems: formalism, measurement, non-locality, and causality. The main positions on these subjects are presented and critically analysed. The aim is to show that the main schools can converge on a core interpretation. The second aspect concerns Foundations. Here it is shown that the whole theory can be grounded on information theory. The distinction between information and signal leads us to integrating quantum mechanics and relativity. Category theory is presented and its significance for quantum information shown; the logic and epistemological bases of the theory are assessed. Of relevance to all physicists and philosophers with an interest in quantum theory and its foundations, this book is destined to become a classic work.

Robert Grosseteste and the pursuit of Religious and Scientific Learning in the Middle Ages (Hardcover, 1st ed. 2016): Jack P... Robert Grosseteste and the pursuit of Religious and Scientific Learning in the Middle Ages (Hardcover, 1st ed. 2016)
Jack P Cunningham, Mark Hocknull
R3,468 Discovery Miles 34 680 Ships in 10 - 15 working days

This book explores a wide range of topics relating to scientific and religious learning in the work of Bishop Robert Grosseteste (c. 1168-1253) and does so from various perspectives, including those of a twenty-first century scientists, historians, and philosophers as well as several medievalists. In particular, it aims to contribute to our understanding of where to place Grosseteste in the history of science (against the background of the famous claim by A.C. Crombie that Grosseteste introduced what we now might call "experimental science") and to demonstrate that the polymathic world of the medieval scholar, who recognized no dichotomy in the pursuit of scientific and philosophical/theological understanding, has much to teach those of us in the modern world who wrestle with the vexed question of the relationship between science and religion. The book comprises an edited selection of the best papers presented at the 3rd International Robert Grosseteste Conference (2014) on the theme of scientific and religious learning, especially in the work of Grosseteste.

The Temporality of Determinacy - Functional Relations in Metaphysics and Science (Hardcover, 1st ed. 2022): Conor Husbands The Temporality of Determinacy - Functional Relations in Metaphysics and Science (Hardcover, 1st ed. 2022)
Conor Husbands
R3,067 Discovery Miles 30 670 Ships in 10 - 15 working days

Metaphysics has often held that laws of nature, if legitimate, must be time-independent. Yet mounting evidence from the foundations of science suggests that this constraint may be obsolete. This book provides arguments against this atemporality conjecture, which it locates both in metaphysics and in the philosophy of science, drawing on developments in a range of fields, from the foundations of physics to the philosophy of finance. It then seeks to excavate an alternative philosophical lineage which reconciles time-dependent laws with determinism, converging in the thought of Immanuel Kant.

Philosophy of Science - A Contemporary Introduction (Hardcover, 3rd edition): Alex Rosenberg Philosophy of Science - A Contemporary Introduction (Hardcover, 3rd edition)
Alex Rosenberg
R4,932 Discovery Miles 49 320 Ships in 10 - 15 working days

Any serious student attempting to better understand the nature, methods and justification of science will value Alex Rosenberg's updated and substantially revised Third Edition of Philosophy of Science: A Contemporary Introduction. Weaving together lucid explanations and clear analyses, the volume is a much-used, thematically oriented introduction to the field. New features of the Third Edition include more coverage of the history of the philosophy of science, more fully developed material on the metaphysics of causal and physical necessity, more background on the contrast between empiricism and rationalism in science, and new material on the structure of theoretical science (with expanded coverage of Newtonian and Darwinian theories and models) and the realism/antirealism controversy. Rosenberg also divides the Third Edition into fifteen chapters, aligning each chapter with a week in a standard semester-long course. Updated Discussion Questions, Glossary, Bibliography and Suggested Readings lists at the end of each chapter will make the Third Edition indispensable, either as a comprehensive stand-alone text or alongside the many wide-ranging collections of articles and book excerpts currently available. Read our interview with Alex Rosenberg, What exactly is philosophy of science - and why does it matter? here: www.routledge.com/u/alexrosenberg

Lesniewski's Systems of Logic and Foundations of Mathematics (Hardcover, 2014 ed.): Rafal Urbaniak Lesniewski's Systems of Logic and Foundations of Mathematics (Hardcover, 2014 ed.)
Rafal Urbaniak
R3,061 R1,913 Discovery Miles 19 130 Save R1,148 (38%) Ships in 10 - 15 working days

This meticulous critical assessment of the ground-breaking work of philosopher Stanislaw Le niewski focuses exclusively on primary texts and explores the full range of output by one of the master logicians of the Lvov-Warsaw school. The author's nuanced survey eschews secondary commentary, analyzing Le niewski's core philosophical views and evaluating the formulations that were to have such a profound influence on the evolution of mathematical logic.

One of the undisputed leaders of the cohort of brilliant logicians that congregated in Poland in the early twentieth century, Le niewski was a guide and mentor to a generation of celebrated analytical philosophers (Alfred Tarski was his PhD student). His primary achievement was a system of foundational mathematical logic intended as an alternative to the Principia Mathematica of Alfred North Whitehead and Bertrand Russell. Its three strands-'protothetic', 'ontology', and 'mereology', are detailed in discrete sections of this volume, alongside a wealth other chapters grouped to provide the fullest possible coverage of Le niewski's academic output.

With material on his early philosophical views, his contributions to set theory and his work on nominalism and higher-order quantification, this book offers a uniquely expansive critical commentary on one of analytical philosophy's great pioneers. "

The Berlin Group and the Philosophy of Logical Empiricism (Hardcover, 2013 ed.): Nikolay Milkov, Volker Peckhaus The Berlin Group and the Philosophy of Logical Empiricism (Hardcover, 2013 ed.)
Nikolay Milkov, Volker Peckhaus
R3,709 R3,494 Discovery Miles 34 940 Save R215 (6%) Ships in 10 - 15 working days

The Berlin Group for scientific philosophy was active between 1928 and 1933 and was closely related to the Vienna Circle. In 1930, the leaders of the two Groups, Hans Reichenbach and Rudolf Carnap, launched the journal Erkenntnis. However, between the Berlin Group and the Vienna Circle, there was not only close relatedness but also significant difference. Above all, while the Berlin Group explored philosophical problems of the actual practice of science, the Vienna Circle, closely following Wittgenstein, was more interested in problems of the language of science. The book includes first discussion ever (in three chapters) on Walter Dubislav's logic and philosophy. Two chapters are devoted to another author scarcely explored in English, Kurt Grelling, and another one to Paul Oppenheim who became an important figure in the philosophy of science in the USA in the 1940s-1960s. Finally, the book discusses the precursor of the Nord-German tradition of scientific philosophy, Jacob Friedrich Fries.

Laws and Explanations; Theories and Modal Possibilities (Hardcover, 1st ed. 2019): Arnold Koslow Laws and Explanations; Theories and Modal Possibilities (Hardcover, 1st ed. 2019)
Arnold Koslow
R2,571 Discovery Miles 25 710 Ships in 10 - 15 working days

The book has two parts: In the first, after a review of some seminal classical accounts of laws and explanations, a new account is proposed for distinguishing between laws and accidental generalizations (LAG). Among the new consequences of this proposal it is proved that any explanation of a contingent generalization shows that the generalization is not accidental. The second part involves physical theories, their modality, and their explanatory power. In particular, it is shown that (1) Each theory has a theoretical implication structure associated with it, such that there are new physical modal operators on these structures and also special modal entities that are in these structures. A special subset of the physical modals, the nomic modals are associated with the laws of theories. (2) The familiar idea that theories always explain laws by deduction of them has to be seriously modified in light of the fact that there are a host of physical theories (including for example, Newtonian Classical mechanics, Hamiltonian, and Lagrangian theory, and probability theory) that we believe are schematic (they do not have any truth value). Nevertheless, we think that there is a kind of non-deductive explanation and generality that they achieve by subsumtion under a schema.

New Perspectives on Technology, Values, and Ethics - Theoretical and Practical (Hardcover, 1st ed. 2015): Wenceslao J Gonz alez New Perspectives on Technology, Values, and Ethics - Theoretical and Practical (Hardcover, 1st ed. 2015)
Wenceslao J Gonz alez
R2,782 R1,904 Discovery Miles 19 040 Save R878 (32%) Ships in 10 - 15 working days

This book focuses on a key issue today: the role of values in technology, with special emphasis on ethical values. This topic involves the analysis of internal values in technology (as they affect objectives, processes, and outcomes) and the study of external values in technology (social, cultural, economic, ecological, etc.). These values - internal and external - are crucial to the decision making of engineers. In addition, they have increasing relevance for citizens concerned with the present and future state of technology, which gives society a leading position in technological issues. The book follows three main lines of research: 1) new perspectives on technology, values, and ethics; 2) rationality and responsibility in technology; and 3) technology and risks. This volume analyzes the two main sides involved here: the theoretical basis for the role of values in technology and a practical discussion on how to implement them in our society. Thus, the book is of interest for philosophers, engineers, academics of different fields and policy-makers. The style used lends itself to broad audience.

A Novel Defense of Scientific Realism (Hardcover): Jarrett Leplin A Novel Defense of Scientific Realism (Hardcover)
Jarrett Leplin
R4,164 Discovery Miles 41 640 Ships in 10 - 15 working days

Vigorous and controversial, this book develops a sustained argument for a realist interpretation of science, based on a new analysis of the concept of predictive novelty. Identifying a form of success achieved in science--the successful prediction of novel empirical results--which can be explained only by attributing some measure of truth to the theories that yield it, Jarrett Leplin demonstrates the incapacity of nonrealist accounts to accommodate novel success and constructs a deft realist explanation of novelty. To test the applicability of novel success as a standard of warrant for theories, Leplin examines current directions in theoretical physics, fashioning a powerful critique of currently developing standards of evaluation.
Arguing that explanatory uniqueness warrants inference, and exposing flaws in contending philosophical positions that sever explanatory power from epistemic justification, Leplin holds that abductive, or explanatory, inference is as fundamental as enumerative or eliminative inference, and contends that neither induction nor abduction can proceed without the other on pain of generating paradoxes.
Leplin's conception of novelty has two basic components: an independence condition, ensuring that a result novel for a theory have no essential role, even indirectly, in the theory's provenance; and a uniqueness condition, ensuring that no competing theory provides a basis for predicting the same result. Showing that alternative approaches to novelty fall short in both respects, Leplin proceeds to a series of test cases, engaging prominent scientific theories from nineteenth-century accounts of light to modern cosmology in an effort to demonstrate theepistemological superiority of his view.
Ambitious and tightly argued, A Novel Defense of Scientific Realism advances new positions on major topics in philosophy of science and offers a version of realism as original as it is compelling, making it essential reading for philosophers of science, epistemologists, and scholars in science studies.

Kant's Theory of Biology (Hardcover, Digital original): Ina Goy, Eric Watkins Kant's Theory of Biology (Hardcover, Digital original)
Ina Goy, Eric Watkins
R4,039 Discovery Miles 40 390 Ships in 10 - 15 working days

During the last twenty years, Kanta (TM)s theoryof biology increasinglyattracted the attention of scholars and has developed into a fieldwhich is itself growing rapidly in importance within Kant studies. Thevolume Kanta (TM)s Theory of Biology presents 15 interpretative essayswritten by important philosophers working in the field, coveringtopics from seventeenth- and eighteenth-century biological theories, the development of the philosophy of biology in Kanta (TM)s writings, theteleology of nature in Kanta (TM)s Critique of the Power of Judgment, andcurrent perspectives on the teleology of nature. Extensive collected volume Highly debated field of philosophy 15 authoritative authors Historical in-depth studieson topical subjects

The Wholeness of Nature - Goethe's Way of Science (Paperback): Henri Bortoft The Wholeness of Nature - Goethe's Way of Science (Paperback)
Henri Bortoft
R594 R559 Discovery Miles 5 590 Save R35 (6%) Ships in 10 - 15 working days

The scientific work of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832) represents a style of learning and understanding which is largely ignored today. The approach of modern science is largely detached, intellectual and analytical, and it is increasingly recognized that many of our contemporary problems stem from the resulting divorce from nature. By contrast, Goethe's way of science pursued understanding through the experience of the 'authentic wholeness' of what was observed. Working with the intuitive mode of consciousness, Goethe aimed at an encounter with the whole phenomenon in its relationship with the observer. In his way of seeing, rather than dividing merely in order to categorize, we should investigate the parts of an object in order to reveal the true nature of the whole. In this invaluable study, Henri Bortoft examines the phenomenological and cultural roots of Goethe's ways of science.

Did Darwin Write the Origin Backwards? - Philosophical Essays on Darwin's Theory (Paperback, New): Elliott Sober Did Darwin Write the Origin Backwards? - Philosophical Essays on Darwin's Theory (Paperback, New)
Elliott Sober
R530 Discovery Miles 5 300 Ships in 10 - 15 working days

Is it accurate to label Darwin's theory "the theory of evolution by natural selection," given that the concept of common ancestry is at least as central to Darwin's theory? Did Darwin reject the idea that group selection causes characteristics to evolve that are good for the group though bad for the individual? How does Darwin's discussion of God in The Origin of Species square with the common view that he is the champion of methodological naturalism? These are just some of the intriguing questions raised in this volume of interconnected philosophical essays on Darwin. The author's approach is informed by modern issues in evolutionary biology, but is sensitive to the ways in which Darwin's outlook differed from that of many biologists today. The main topics that are the focus of the book-common ancestry, group selection, sex ratio, and naturalism-have rarely been discussed in their connection with Darwin in such penetrating detail. Author Professor Sober is the 2008 winner of the Prometheus Prize. This biennial award, established in 2006 through the American Philosophical Association, is designed "to honor a distinguished philosopher in recognition of his or her lifetime contribution to expanding the frontiers of research in philosophy and science." This insightful collection of essays will be of interest to philosophers, biologists, and laypersons seeking a deeper understanding of one of the most influential scientific theories ever propounded.

Truth in Science, the Humanities and Religion - Balzan Symposium 2008 (Hardcover, 2010 ed.): International Balzan Foundation Truth in Science, the Humanities and Religion - Balzan Symposium 2008 (Hardcover, 2010 ed.)
International Balzan Foundation
R4,128 R3,103 Discovery Miles 31 030 Save R1,025 (25%) Ships in 10 - 15 working days

by the Academies of the two countries - to the Italian-Swiss University of Lugano for the two-day-Symposium. The question of the meaning of "truth" is central to many areas of contemporary debate, whether between those subscribing to a post-Enlightenment view of the world and those who seek fundamental truth in religious texts, or between those maintaining that there are absolute truths and those believing facts to be social constructs. For some, the ultimate truth is revealed through religious faith and t- tual authority. Can this view be reconciled with an evidence-based, materialist, post-Enlightenment perspective of the truth as embraced by the natural sciences? If religion holds the key to the truth, which religion and which truths? During the five thematic sessions of the symposium, all attended by the same audience and by all the speakers and panel members, these and many other qu- tions, but in particular the one about the meaning of truth, were examined and debated. The whole range of perspectives represented on the panels and in the au- ence came to the fore. After the keynote lecture by Professor Simon Blackburn, the five sessions covered the following disciplines: philosophy, mathematics, physics, cosmology, the biological sciences including biodiversity and sustainability, h- tory, the social sciences, theology and religion. This volume contains the speakers' lectures, the corresponding reactions of the invited panel members as well as the panel and general discussions of the two-d- symposium.

Free Delivery
Pinterest Twitter Facebook Google+
You may like...
The Plane
Sumehra Addnan Hardcover R632 Discovery Miles 6 320
Remembrance Day in Canada
David James Pallister Hardcover R503 Discovery Miles 5 030
The Book Book - Inside the Inside Story
Jimmy Huston Hardcover R500 Discovery Miles 5 000
Scout Goes to School
Barbara Jo Almendinger Hardcover R475 Discovery Miles 4 750
A Fish out of Water - A Christian…
Linda Hutchins Hardcover R625 Discovery Miles 6 250
Toby The Great Detective - In The…
Toby Harris Hardcover R758 Discovery Miles 7 580
To the World - Teacher Notebook Journal…
Young Dreamers Press Paperback R249 Discovery Miles 2 490
Wailin' and the Chicks
Melanie Wagner Hardcover R625 Discovery Miles 6 250
Powerful Learning Strategies that…
Penny McGlynn Hardcover R1,112 Discovery Miles 11 120
Superhero JJ Many Talents!
Dionne Morrison-Jaisinghani Hardcover R726 Discovery Miles 7 260

 

Partners