Oxford University Press - Nature's Capacities and Measurements

Explore the fundamental debate regarding powers and capacities in the natural world with this academic work from Oxford University Press. In Nature's Capacities and Their Measurements, Cartwright challenges the long-standing empiricist views established since David Hume. While many thinkers have barred capacities from nature, this book argues they are essential components of our scientific understanding. This text provides a rigorous look at how capacities can meet strict demands for testability. By examining disciplines like econometrics, where probabilities measure causal capacities, and the technology of modern physics, such as lasers, the book demonstrates how these concepts function in practice. Readers will gain insight into how probabilities and capacities work together to explain the role of causality in science. This is a significant addition to the Clarendon Paperbacks series for those studying physics, philosophy, or the foundations of science.