Product Description

A comprehensive introduction to the philosophy of science. Introduces the key topics, such as the scientific method, rationalism and empiricism, as well as more advanced topics such as realism and antirealism.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #185549 in Books
• Published on: 2001-12-20
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 302 pages

Review
'The style is accessible, the discussion is engaging: this is a thought-provoking introduction to the philosophy of science.' - Peter Lipton, Professor of the History and Philosophy of Science, Cambridge University

'This is the best introduction to philosophy of sciences I have read. I will certainly use it. The writing is wonderfully clear without being simplistic. It is not at all too difficult for second and third year students. Many of my philosophy of science students have no background in philosophy, and I'm sure they will find the book accessible, informative and a pleasure to read. I read this manuscript with my students in mind. This is the book we've been looking for.' - Peter Kosso, Northern Arizona University

From the Back Cover
Understanding Philosophy of Science is a comprehensive and introduction to the philosophy of science. It is ideal for students coming to philosophy or science for time.
James Ladyman presents an accessible introduction to central topics within the philosophy of science, including
the scientific method
induction and inductivism
falsificationism
rationalism
empiricism
He also introduced more advanced topics such as realism and antirealism, underdetermination, causation and reference.
Understanding Philosophy of Science is essential reading for all students of philosophy and science. It is also valuable to anyone seeking an introduction to some of the basic problems in philosophy itself.

About the Author
James Ladyman is Senior Lecturer in philosophy at the University of Bristol

Customer Reviews

Not bad, but not good enough
First things first: This is not a bad book. It approaches the philosophy of science in very general terms: Ladyman's terms are the layman's term, and I mean this as a compliment. But the book has also some serious flaws: It doesn't go into nearly enough detail to make it a useful textbook at university level; it is probably aimed at first-year students or high-school seniors who aren't quite sure what all this buzz about philosophy of science is about. It is difficult to imagine this book as the basis of a solid course in philosophy of science -- partly because the presentation is skewed towards the author's personal views, which means the book is not as impartial as it should be and does not nearly present a representative cross-section of positions in the field. Also, the suggestions for "further reading" are of marginal usefulness, which after reading the book leaves one at a bit of a loss where to continue. Any professional reader, including students enrolled in introductory Philosophy of Science courses, would be better off investing into a good anthology, of which there are several. Some, such as the Curd/Cover anthology "Philosophy of Science: The Central Issues", also include many good introductory chapters; others, such as the MIT Press volume "The Philosophy of Science" (Boyd et al.) represent the complete spectrum. As supplementary reading, Ladyman's book has a place in the literature, but it does not suffice as a 'stand-alone' companion for serious study.

Best book around for Philosophy of Science.
There are quite a few accessible, useful and well-written introductory books in philosophy of science available at present. (Good examples include books by Anthony O'Hear, A. F. Chalmers, Alex Rosenberg and Alexander Bird.) However, James Ladyman's new book is far and away the best introduction to philosophy of science now available in Britain. Why? Well, designing a good textbook is basically a matter of knowing what to concentrate on and what to leave out, and Ladyman knows exactly the areas to concentrate on. Ladyman looks at two key questions:- firstly, what, if anything, is distinctive about scientific method?; and secondly, do successful scientific theories serve as reliable guides to how the world actually is? Here we have the two key questions in philosophy of science - one about the methods of science and the other about its aims. This two-part framework allows Ladyman a lot of room to pursue interesting and relevant issues in science and its justification, taking in key figures like Karl Popper and Thomas Kuhn en route. It's a well-structured book for the student, with a lot of helpful discussion material and useful suggestions for further reading. If you're at all interested in learning about the philosophy of
science, you really ought to start here.

An Excellent Foundation for Study
An excellent aid to a student of Philosophy of Science. Interesting, engaging and insightful, this text delivers a good all round familiarisation with the subject matter.

I would recommend it to any degree level student reading Philosophy of Science.