The Natures of ScienceFairleigh Dickinson Univ Press, 1989 - 264 pages A too swift examination, for the benefit evidently of fairly naive readers, of broad philosophical and historical themes in the development of science. The ten chapters are grouped by pairs under five topical heads, which treat respectively the philosophical, aesthetic, cultural, methodological, scientific nature of science. Mathematical material encountered in the final chapter ("Classical duality in modern physics") is likely to be considered off-putting by many of the intended readers. Rather awkwardly composed, though attractively printed and bound. The author is chairman of the Physics Department at the University of the West Indies. (NW) Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR |
Contents
| 21 | |
Classical Duality and the Nature of Light | 43 |
Aesthetics in the History of Scientific Theories | 63 |
Formal and Connotative Aesthetic Elements in Physical Theories | 82 |
Science as Method | 107 |
Time and Reality in Eliot and Einstein | 130 |
The Categorical Questions in Science | 153 |
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accepted achieved activity aesthetic elements analogy argued arguments Aristotelian Aristotle Aristotle's aspect astronomy beauty Cambridge chapter classical concept concerned context culture Descartes discussion distinction duality Einstein Einstein's field equations Einstein's theory electromagnetic Eliot ence episteme epistemological equations established example existence experience experimental fact Fontenelle framework Francis Bacon fundamental Furthermore Galileo geometry Grosseteste historical Hoyle Huxley Ibid important intellectual Kuhn Kuhn's linguistic literature logic London Lorentz mathematical matter meaning mechanics ment metaphysical methodology modern motion natural philosophy natural science nature of light nature of science neutron stars Newton non-Euclidean geometry normal science Oppenheimer optical paradigm particle particular phenomena philosophical pulsar research questions radio astronomers reality reference regarded relativity revolution revolutionary Roger Bacon rotating scientific knowledge scientists seen simplicity space-time substance supernovae symmetry T. S. Eliot theoretical theory of relativity things tion University Press view of science Voltaire wave wave-particle duality white dwarf
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Page 6 - But the images of men's wits and knowledges remain in books, exempted from the wrong of time, and capable of perpetual renovation. Neither are they fitly to be called images, because they generate still, and cast their seeds in the minds of others, provoking and causing infinite actions and opinions in succeeding ages...