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Philosophy of Science: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions)
 
 
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Philosophy of Science: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions) (Paperback)

by Samir Okasha (Author) "What is science? ..." (more)
4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
RRP: £7.99
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Philosophy of Science: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions) + Logic: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions) + Quantum Theory: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions)
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"Very helpful.... Okasha presents the issues and arguments with delightful clarity."--Philosophia Christi


Product Description
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.

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Inside This Book (Learn More)
First Sentence
What is science? Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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Philosophy of Science: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions)
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6 Reviews
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4.5 out of 5 stars (6 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Great little book, 31 Aug 2006
By M. J. Robinson (England) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
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.
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14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars great for beginners, 19 Feb 2003
By A Customer
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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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A fantastic introduction, 11 April 2006
By filthmonkey (UK) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   
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.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars A great Introduction
It's tempting to ask why we need to have a better understanding of the philosophy of Science, when it can be said that "Science is what Scientists do" - it's a broad field of... Read more
Published 24 days ago by SCM

5.0 out of 5 stars A little book of big ideas
A great little book that introduces the major debates with enough detail to whet the appetite but not enough to intimidate. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Mark Hurst

3.0 out of 5 stars Reasonable Overview For The Interested
What do philosophers think about science? This book provides a brief history of the philosophy of science, describes some logical assumptions in the practice of science and... Read more
Published on 19 Jan 2006 by Kam-Hung Soh

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