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In science it is obvious that we are certain about many things, but
among philosophers there is little agreement as to why we know
these things. In Knowing Things for Sure physicist and realist
philosopher, Mariano Artigas traces the confusion to non-realist
philosophies and argues that practitioners of experimental science
do reach logical truths about reality. This comprehensive survey of
the philosophy of science and mini-history of science uses
historical evidence to discuss the aim of science and show how
scientists achieve inter-subjective agreement, reach truths about
reality, and ultimately impact philosophy. Some of the scientific
discoveries and methods referenced include the discovery of
elements and the role of the periodic table, Mendel's
mathematization of heredity through experiments with peas, Darwin's
hypothesis as a framework theory, the prediction of the existence
of the blood-brain barrier and its confirmation 70 years later, the
discovery of superconductivity and its explanation 60 years later,
the use of the uncertainty principle by physicists to estimate
magnitudes of particles and duration, the existence of atoms and
sub-atomic particles, and the explanatory power of the DNA double
helix. Knowing Things for Sure also cites and critiques numerous
philosophies from philosophers such as Aristotle, Comte, Mach,
Reichenbach, Carnap, and Popper.
Oracles of Science examines the popular writings of the six
scientists who have been the most influential in shaping our
perception of science, how it works, and how it relates to other
fields of human endeavor, especially religion. Biologists Stephen
Jay Gould, Richard Dawkins, and Edward O. Wilson, and physicists
Carl Sagan, Stephen Hawking, and Steven Weinberg, have become
public intellectuals, articulating a much larger vision for science
and what role it should play in the modern worldview. The
scientific prestige and literary eloquence of each of these great
thinkers combine to transform them into what can only be called
oracles of science. Their controversial, often personal, sometimes
idiosyncratic opinions become widely known and perceived by many to
be authoritative. Curiously, the leading 'oracles of science' are
predominantly secular in ways that don't reflect the distribution
of religious beliefs within the scientific community. Many of them
are even hostile to religion, creating a false impression that
science as a whole is incompatible with religion. Karl Giberson and
Mariano Artigas offer an informed analysis of the views of these
six scientists, carefully distinguishing science from philosophy
and religion in the writings of the oracles. This book will be
welcomed by many who are disturbed by the tone of the public
discourse on the relationship between science and religion and will
challenge others to reexamine their own preconceptions about this
crucial topic.
Biologists Stephen Jay Gould, Richard Dawkins, and Edward O.
Wilson, and physicists Carl Sagan, Stephen Hawking, and Steven
Weinberg have become public intellectuals, articulating a much
larger vision for science and what role it should play in the
modern worldview. The scientific prestige and literary eloquence of
each of these great thinkers combine to transform them into what
can only be called oracles of science. Curiously, the leading
"oracles of science" are predominantly secular in ways that don't
reflect the distribution of religious beliefs within the scientific
community. Many of them are even hostile to religion, creating a
false impression that science as a whole is incompatible with
religion. Karl Giberson and Mariano Artigas offer an informed
analysis of the views of these six scientists, carefully
distinguishing science from philosophy and religion in the writings
of the oracles.
Galileo's trial by the Inquisition is one of the most dramatic
incidents in the history of science and religion. Today, we tend to
see this event in black and white--Galileo all white, the Church
all black. Galileo in Rome presents a much more nuanced account of
Galileo's relationship with Rome.
The book offers a fascinating account of the six trips Galileo
made to Rome, from his first visit at age 23, as an unemployed
mathematician, to his final fateful journey to face the
Inquisition. The authors reveal why the theory that the Earth
revolves around the Sun, set forth in Galileo's Dialogue, stirred a
hornet's nest of theological issues, and they argue that, despite
these issues, the Church might have accepted Copernicus if there
had been solid proof. More interesting, they show how Galileo dug
his own grave. To get the imprimatur, he brought political pressure
to bear on the Roman Censor. He disobeyed a Church order not to
teach the heliocentric theory. And he had a character named
Simplicio (which in Italian sounds like simpleton) raise the same
objections to heliocentrism that the Pope had raised with Galileo.
The authors show that throughout the trial, until the final
sentence and abjuration, the Church treated Galileo with great
deference, and once he was declared guilty commuted his sentence to
house arrest.
Here then is a unique look at the life of Galileo as well as a
strikingly different view of an event that has come to epitomize
the Church's supposed antagonism toward science.
This book invites to interpret Karl Popper under the light of his
ethical attitudes. In the first part a previously unpublished text
by Popper is reproduced and commented which is most relevant to
acquire a new insight on Popper's philosophy and should be taken
into account in any future interpretation of it. In the second
part, under the light of the new insight, the ethical roots of
Popper's theory of knowledge are analysed, jointly with the meaning
and reach of his fallibilism.
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