See buying choices for this item to see if it's one of the millions that are eligible for Amazon Prime.

3 used & new from £21.30

Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
   
Kuhn Vs.Popper: The Struggle for the Soul of Science
 
 

Kuhn Vs.Popper: The Struggle for the Soul of Science (Hardcover)

by Steve Fuller (Author)
3.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)

Available from these sellers.


1 new from £35.99 2 used from £21.30
Other Editions: RRP: Our Price: Other Offers:
Paperback 3 used & new from £24.99

Customers Viewing This Page May Be Interested in These Sponsored Links

  (What is this?)
Cheap Books
   www.AbeBooks.co.uk    Find all your books cheap & second hand at AbeBooks. 
  
 

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

The Structure of Scientific Revolutions

The Structure of Scientific Revolutions

by TS Kuhn
4.0 out of 5 stars (24)  £8.55
The Logic of Scientific Discovery (Routledge Classics)

The Logic of Scientific Discovery (Routledge Classics)

by Karl Popper
4.5 out of 5 stars (4)  £10.44
Conjectures and Refutations (Routledge Classics): The Growth of Scientific Knowledge

Conjectures and Refutations (Routledge Classics): The Growth of Scientific Knowledge

by Karl Popper
£10.99
Against Method: Outline of an Anarchistic Theory of Knowledge

Against Method: Outline of an Anarchistic Theory of Knowledge

by Paul K. Feyerabend
3.8 out of 5 stars (6)  £14.24
Thomas Kuhn and the Science Wars (Postmodern Encounters)

Thomas Kuhn and the Science Wars (Postmodern Encounters)

by Ziauddin Sardar
£3.99
Explore similar items

Product details

  • Hardcover: 244 pages
  • Publisher: Icon Books Ltd (5 Jun 2003)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 1840464682
  • ISBN-13: 978-1840464689
  • Product Dimensions: 17.8 x 10.6 x 3 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 360,411 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in this category:

    #20 in  Books > Society, Politics & Philosophy > Philosophy > Philosophers > More Philosophers > Popper, Karl

Product Description

Review
"Reading Steve Fuller is like reading Umberto Eco on speed." Jeff Hughes, University of Manchester

An overview of the debate between the two most influential modern philosophies of science. Fuller (Sociology/Univ. of Warwick) places Thomas Kuhn (1922-96) and Karl Popper (1902-94) at the heads of two divergent schools of thought about the roles of science and the scientist. Kuhn's 1960 book, The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, postulated that scientists normally work within a paradigm, a framework of ideas that controls what questions they ask and what data they examine. At intervals, a new paradigm-for example, the Copernican solar system-captures the imagination of a new generation of scientists and replaces the old one, without necessarily being a more accurate depiction of reality. Popper, an intellectual descendent of the logical positivist school, argued that the essence of science is the search for ways to falsify accepted viewpoints, and that only those propositions that can be disproved are genuinely scientific. Fuller states the two men's basic positions and examines their underlying scientific, historical, and political premises. Openly acknowledging that he finds Kuhn's theory detrimental to the independence of science, the author suggests that because Kuhn came to intellectual maturity in an era when American society needed to subsume scientific research into the Cold War effort, he favored a view in which most scientists do not ordinarily question basic principles. Popper's view, that science is a model of an open society in which free inquiry is the norm, offers at the same time more personal freedom and more personal responsibility to the individual scientist. While the general verdict is that Kuhn won the debate during the two men's lifetimes, Fuller argues that Popper's view retains the potential to liberate science from its current role as the handmaiden of government and business. A succinct yet in-depth inquiry into a significant philosophical issue. (Kirkus Reviews)

Jenny Uglow
'This is the very book I’ve been needing to read for ages, to get things straight in my mind!’ --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

See all Product Description

Inside This Book (Learn More)
Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
Search inside this book:

Suggested Tags from Similar Products

 (What's this?)
Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product)
Check a corresponding box or enter your own tags in the field below
(2)

Your tags: Add your first tag
 

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?


 

Customer Reviews

8 Reviews
5 star:
 (3)
4 star:
 (1)
3 star:
 (1)
2 star:
 (2)
1 star:
 (1)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
3.4 out of 5 stars (8 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A book that challenges your preconceptions, 18 Dec 2003
By John Brewer (Amherst, Mass) - See all my reviews
The TLS had a review of this book a couple of weeks ago and managed to do the book justice. Basically Popperians will love the book at two levels. Not only does it defend Popper against Kuhn, but it also falsifies one’s – or at least my! -- preconception of what the Kuhn-Popper debate was really about.

Make no mistake about it. ‘Kuhn vs Popper’ is not for the intellectually faint-hearted but its message is pretty clear, if not entirely welcomed by people who have come to believe that Kuhn is the last word on the nature of science. In any case, as Fuller points out, this debate really had very little influence on practicing scientists – but it influenced a lot of people who take science seriously as some basis for authority in society. What Fuller most regrets about Kuhn’s victory is that it has managed to allow a pretty conservative, heads-down approach to science to pass itself off as radical, just because Kuhn used a lot of radical-sounding words like ‘revolution’.

The most interesting part of this book is the way Fuller gets you to think about the politics both in and around science as it’s done today. He argues that BOTH Kuhn and Popper would condemn the sort of money-hungry, status-seeking, power-grabbing activities all too frequently associated with science today. However, Popper was more openly critical of these tendencies, whereas Kuhn hid behind trendy but vague language that still manages to seduce some people.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Good introduction, 14 May 2008
By A. J. HAWKEN "Tony Hawken" (London - UK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
I recently considered starting an MSc in Philosophy of Science and decided to read something simple to gain some idea about the subject. I chose this book because the compulsory module for this MSc involves reading a lot about Kuhn. I did have some of Kuhn's books, but decided on something much simpler that I could easily read in a week.

The book is hard-going in places because for the layman, there are many unfamiliar terms used. Fortunately there is a glossary towards the end of the book which helps.

This book gave me an insight into the work of Kuhn and convinced me that the philosophy of Science being discussed should be called Sociology of Science. This was enough to persuade me that I didn't really want to put the time, money and effort into studying for the stated MSc.

It is fitting that Steve Fuller is a sociologist, as much of the content is really about the sociology of Science.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book! Read before judging it, 21 Mar 2006
By Hans Castorp (Davos, Switzerland) - See all my reviews
I'm writing this review not because the book needs more sales, since this may be the bestselling of Fuller's books. But I'm amazed at the cheek of the reviewers here. I don't think they bothered to read the book at all, certainly not to the end. The book is divided into short chapters that look at various senses in which Kuhn and Popper may be seen as having disagreed with each other. The paperback edition contains a glossary that is not included in the hardback.

Like it or not, not much seems to have happened when these two guys encountered each other. The action really did occur offstage -- in the various spins that partisans gave to what KUhn and Popper stood for. Kuhn's spin doctors won the PR war, though largely without Kuhn's help. Kuhn comes across in this book as cowardly, Popper as awkward but basically right. There's lots to think about here in terms of what intellectual responsibility means once your work has a much more public impact than you intended.

Also, I think unbiased readers will find it interesting the common roots of scientific paradigms/revolutions with religious dogma/heresy. No doubt those who see science and religion as polar opposites won't get the point. But others will. Buy it and judge for yourself.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews

2.0 out of 5 stars Not for the lay person
I found this book difficult and verbose. It may well be an excellent examination of the issues, but even armed with my degree in psychology, some knowledge of the subjects raised,... Read more
Published 17 months ago by D. M. Powell

3.0 out of 5 stars Suggestive but biased
This is a richly suggestive study that despite its faults deserves attention. The central thesis that science is out of kilter is passionately argued and grounded in a neat... Read more
Published on 24 April 2006 by mark tully

1.0 out of 5 stars A sociological paradigm in crisis
This book tells me, anyhow, that the dreadful paradigm of sociology is in total (and seemingly permanent) crisis. As Hume would say: "to the flames". Read more
Published on 9 Aug 2005 by Mr. M. A. Speedy

2.0 out of 5 stars a "paradigm" case of why no one listens to academics?
As I was one of those wasters who read a bit of philosophy many years back, the title of this book caught my eye. Read more
Published on 5 Dec 2003 by Mr. O. Buxton

5.0 out of 5 stars Packs a punch
This is an abridged and updated version of the big book Fuller did on Kuhn a couple of years ago. Kuhn is accused of no less than intellectual irresponsibility for failing to... Read more
Published on 19 Oct 2003 by Morgan Dorrell

Only search this product's reviews



Customer Discussions

 Beta (What's this?)
This product's forum (0 discussions)
  Discussion Replies Latest Post
  No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
  [Cancel]


Active discussions in related forums
   
Related forums


Listmania!


Look for similar items by category


Feedback


Fun for Everyone

Christmas Gifts
Achieve over 15,000 RPM with our great range of Powerballs.

Shop the Powerball store

 

Let Olay Amaze You

Olay Total Effects Day Moisturiser SPF15 50ml
Amazon.co.uk sells all your favourite ranges from Olay, including Regenerist and Total Effects.

Discover Olay at Amazon.co.uk

 

A Close Shave

Philips Nivea Coolskin HS8060 Moisturizing Rotary Shaving System
For all types of hair removal, stay smooth with Amazon.co.uk.

Discover Shaving & Hair Removal

 

Treat Someone

Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificates--available in any amount from £5 to £500 With an Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificate, you can get them what they want (even if you don't know what that is).

Learn more about Gift Certificates

 
Ad

Where's My Stuff?

Delivery and Returns

Need Help?

Your Recent History

  (What's this?)
You have no recently viewed items or searches.

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.

Look to the right column to find helpful suggestions for your shopping session.

Continue Shopping: Top Sellers
The Girl Who Played with Fire
Breaking Dawn (Twilight Saga)
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
The Host
The Host by Stephenie Meyer

amazon.co.uk Amazon Home
International Sites:  United States  |  Germany  |  France  |  Japan  |  Canada  |  China
Business Programs: Sell on Amazon  |  Fulfilment by Amazon  |  Join Associates  |  Join Advantage
Customer Service  |  Help  |  View Basket  |  Your Account
About Amazon.co.uk  |  Careers at Amazon
Conditions of Use & Sale |  Privacy Notice  © 1996-2009, Amazon.com, Inc. and its affiliates