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The systematic study of the physical world had its orgins in philosophy; two-and-a-half millennia later, the scientific advances of the twentieth century are bringing the two fields closer together again. In this brilliant new textbook, Lawrence Sklar gives a broad overview of contemporary philosophy of physics which readers at all levels, especially students, should find accessible and engaging. Professor Sklar provides a clear and accurate guide to the key topics: the nature of space and time, the problems of probability and irreversibility in statistical mechanics, and, of course, the many notorious problems raised by quantum mechanics. He discusses sophisticated scientific questions, but avoids the use of technical formalism, so that the discussion will be accessible to those without a training in philosophy or physics.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
As a student new to philosophy of physics I found this book to be a useful introduction. Sklar tries to write in a way which pressumes very little knowledge of either physics or philosophy, without boring those well versed in one or both. The first chapter starts with an overview of the development of epistemology, but veterans of philosophy will probably still find it interesting as Sklar ties philosophy's history in with the history of geometry. As a student of both physics and philosophy I may not be the best judge as to the readability of the text for non-physicists. Although I can attest to the clearness of his explanations of physical theory I suspect those without a basic undergraduate knowledge of physics will struggle to understand some of the tecnical issues discussed. It is common in philosophy of physics papers to assume quite an advanced knowledge of contemporary physics, and I can certainly say that Sklar is not guilty of this excess. Sklar also puts the relationship between physics and philosophy in a historical context which I found very rewarding. I was worried after the introduction that the it might end up a bit of a dry read (also 90 page long chapters don't seem appealing) but once you get into the main book Sklar deals with a large number of topics in just the right ammount of depth to stimulate further interest. This book is admirably self contained and should be useful for physicists with niggling doubts about their subjects foundations, or philosophers willing to read up a little on some physics to uncover some interesting conceptual problems.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
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1 review
16 of 16 people found the following review helpful
Introduction to physics and philosophy at its best
17 April 2005
Format:Paperback
This modest-sized book is an excellent introduction to major concepts of modern physics and philosophical problems that they present or help solve. Sklar does a wonderful job describing a multitude of philosophical issues in less than 300 pages. Differently from some texts aimed at undergraduates, this book does not waste space "sugar coating" the material (such as author's witty comments etc.). The text in densely packed with information.
As a physics student I sometimes found it frustrating that many physical concepts and results are presented but not explained. Sklar refers to many proofs, but rarely describes any specifics of the argument. That is acceptable - considering that the book does not aim to prove any point - and probably desirable for people without physical education. For those who crave the details, references are given for most arguments.
Basically, this book is an excellent starting point for someone interested in philosophical issues related to the physical sciences. It will give you an understanding of what the real problems are, and which questions have already been resolved. "Further readings" at the end of each chapter are great (though not exhaustive) listings of works that deal with the problems presented in the chapter.
As a physics student I sometimes found it frustrating that many physical concepts and results are presented but not explained. Sklar refers to many proofs, but rarely describes any specifics of the argument. That is acceptable - considering that the book does not aim to prove any point - and probably desirable for people without physical education. For those who crave the details, references are given for most arguments.
Basically, this book is an excellent starting point for someone interested in philosophical issues related to the physical sciences. It will give you an understanding of what the real problems are, and which questions have already been resolved. "Further readings" at the end of each chapter are great (though not exhaustive) listings of works that deal with the problems presented in the chapter.
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