What is science? Is there a real difference between science and myth? Is science objective? Can science explain everything? This Very Short Introduction provides a concise overview of the main themes of contemporary philosophy of science. Beginning with a short history of science to set the scene, Samir Okasha goes on to investigate the nature of scientific reasoning, scientific explanation, revolutions in science, and theories such as realism and anti-realism. He also looks at philosophical issues in particular sciences, including the problem of classification in biology, and the nature of space and time in physics. The final chapter touches on the conflicts between science and religion, and explores whether science is ultimately a good thing.
Philosophy of Science: A Very Short Introduction
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"Very helpful.... Okasha presents the issues and arguments with delightful clarity."--Philosophia Christi
About the Author
Samir Okasha is currently Lecturer in Philosophy, University of York. He has published numerous articles in philosophy journals, in the areas of philosophy of science, philosophy of biology, and epistemology. He has previously held a Jacobean Fellowship in Philosophy at University of London and has taught at the University of Mexico.
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
23 of 23 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I found this book very clear, comprehensible and enjoyable.
It starts off with a brief history of modern physics and some biology. It then discusses deduction and induction and goes on look at explanation in science and outlines problems associated with these ideas. It then outlines the realist v anti-realist debate.
The philosophy of Popper and Kuhn are critically outlined and there is a chapter on the critics of science. There is also a chapter on specific problems in physics, biology and psychology.
Because there is obviously limited space in a book of this size, it is unable to cover some of the important philosophies of science that have been developed since Kuhn.
However, I thought this book was well written and ideal for the layman wanting an intoduction to this field, and certainly whets the appetite to find out more. Thoroughly recommended.
It starts off with a brief history of modern physics and some biology. It then discusses deduction and induction and goes on look at explanation in science and outlines problems associated with these ideas. It then outlines the realist v anti-realist debate.
The philosophy of Popper and Kuhn are critically outlined and there is a chapter on the critics of science. There is also a chapter on specific problems in physics, biology and psychology.
Because there is obviously limited space in a book of this size, it is unable to cover some of the important philosophies of science that have been developed since Kuhn.
However, I thought this book was well written and ideal for the layman wanting an intoduction to this field, and certainly whets the appetite to find out more. Thoroughly recommended.
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
By filthmonkey
Format:Paperback
The "A Very Short Introduction" series doesn't always come up with good books, but this one is a gem. It really is. It introduces the basics first: deduction, induction, etc. and goes on to talk about the problem of induction, Hume's criticism of it, whether thinking about probability and causation can help. The discussion moves then onto realists vs. anti-realists. The highly influential philosopher Thomas Kuhn is also well covered. Finally, the book covers some problems in biology and physics and generally that result from science. The book is brief and you can read it in a long evening or maybe two short ones, if you're not already familiar with the subject. Most importantly, the author manages to realise that newcomers to the subject deserve a gentle ride, and he does this by writing very accessibly and using plenty of easy-to-understand examples. I would recommend this to anybody trying to find a way into the philosophy of science. Of course, being a "very short introduction" this book doesn't tend to go into very much detail or cover everything that philosophy of science entails. But a very short introduction can't have everything. For beginners I think it is ideal, and that is what it aims to be. Highly recommended.
16 of 17 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
As a relative newcomer to the subject, I found the book fascinating. It is full of illustrations which explain and break up the text, and it is small, so I didn't feel oppressed by a huge weight of knowledge that I might feel obliged to wade through. Very approachable and very readable - Five stars!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars
Appetizer
I know the title reads as "A Very Short Introduction.." but neverthless this book should in my opinion be less ..short. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Francisco Amaral
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great intro book
A good starting point to wet he appetite, not a huge book but it certainly poses many questions which may get the reader searching for more answers.
Published 5 months ago by Wj Guymer
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Really Very Short Introduction
I picked this up as I hadn't realised that there truly was a `philosophy of science'. If there is, I don't think this book properly demonstrates it. Read more
Published 13 months ago by anozama
4.0 out of 5 stars
A nice introduction.
I found this book to offer a structured introduction into the subject. It covers important matters such as the historical context and the methods of thought used; such as deductive... Read more
Published 20 months ago by Damis
5.0 out of 5 stars
Written in simple terms...
Another great very short introduction.Samir Okasha has the gift of writing in simple terms and explaining complex ideas in layman's language. Highly recommended. Read more
Published 20 months ago by S. MOHAMADI
5.0 out of 5 stars
Good choice if you don't have any background on Philosophy
I haven't had any background in Philosophy but I had to study it in the master. So I read this book and it helped me know every fundamental knowledge in Philosophy. Read more
Published on 6 Jan 2011 by ps
5.0 out of 5 stars
An excellent introduction - informative, balanced and accessible
A book of this size will never do justice to such an extensive subject as the philosophy of science - but what this covers, it does so extremely well, thanks largely to the... Read more
Published on 5 Jan 2011 by Steve M
4.0 out of 5 stars
Concise introduction
A good starter book for this subject. The style is clear and concise with useful examples throughout.
Published on 6 Nov 2010 by J. Rigby
4.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent introduction to a fascinating area of study.
This is the first book i've read dedicated to the philosophy of science and it won't be the last, because it has introduced some deeply important questions about fundamental... Read more
Published on 12 Oct 2010 by T. West
5.0 out of 5 stars
The ideas of science
Philosophy of Science: A very short introduction by Samir Okasha, Oxford, 2002, 160 ff.
The ideas of science
By Howard A. Read more
The ideas of science
By Howard A. Read more
Published on 29 Aug 2009 by Dr. H. A. Jones
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