Routledge The Routledge Companion to Philosophy of Science (Routledge Philosophy Companions)

Product Description The Routledge Companion to Philosophy of Science is an indispensable reference source and guide to the major themes, debates, problems and topics in philosophy of science. It contains sixty-two specially commissioned entries by a leading team of international contributors. Organized into four parts it covers: historical and philosophical context debates concepts the individual sciences. The Routledge Companion to Philosophy of Science addresses all of the essential topics that students of philosophy of science need to know - from empiricism, explanation and experiment to causation, observation, prediction and more - and contains many helpful features including chapters on individual sciences (such as biology, chemistry, physics and psychology), further reading and cross-referencing at the end of each chapter. Expanded and revised throughout, this second edition includes new chapters on Conventionalism, Social Epistemology, Computer Simulation, Thought Experiments, Pseudoscience, Species and Taxonomy, and Cosmology. Review " ... any serious student of the subject will find it an invaluable resource. ... Aside from the excellent essays themselves, one of the best features from the previous edition also remains: a short paragraph following each topical essay gives the contributing author's suggestions for additional reading. Summing Up: Highly recommended." - CHOICE "… The sixty-five contributors, apart from the editors, are all senior scholars with capacious knowledge of the field. As a single volume companion, it is unlikely to be surpassed." - Lindsay Parker, The Year’s Work in Critical and Cultural Theory Praise for the first edition: A CHOICE Outstanding Academic Title 2008 "With a distinguished list of internationally renowned contributors, an excellent choice of topics in the field, and well-written, well-edited essays throughout, this compendium is an excellent resource. It will work well for any serious scholar inside or outside the field interested in the current state of philosophy of science. Highly recommended." - CHOICE "Highly recommended for history of science and philosophy collections." - Library Journal "This well-conceived companion, which brings together an impressive collection of distinguished authors, will be invaluable to novices and experienced readers alike." - Metascience "Here is philosophy of science the way it should be. In these pages some of the very best philosophers working today grapple with the big issues of metaphysics, language, and epistemology as they relate to science. This volume is a true introduction to a philosophy of science that has real stature; a philosophy of science that puts the subject at the crossing point of arguments from across the intellectual landscape." - Peter Galison, Harvard University, USA "This well-conceived and comprehensive volume brings together a remarkable collection of authors, including many of the leading contemporary contributors to the philosophy of science. It will be of great value to students of the philosophy of science at all levels." - John Dupré, University of Exeter, UK About the Author Martin Curd is Associate Professor of Philosophy at Purdue University, USA. He is co-editor (with Jan Cover and Christopher Pincock) of Philosophy of Science: The Central Issues. Stathis Psillos is Professor of Philosophy of Science and Metaphysics at the University of Athens, Greece. He is the author of Scientific Realism: How Science Tracks Truth (Routledge), Causation and Explanation, Philosophy of Science A–Z, and Knowing the Structure of Nature.