Search Results

ENGLISH

Men Among The Mammoths

by A. Bowdoin Van Riper

108,15€ + 10% CARD

free shipping

 Van Riper chronicles the Victorian debate over the idea of prehistoric human origins within the context of Victorian science, showing how the notion of human antiquity forced Victorians to redefine their assumptions about human evolution and the relationship of science to Christianity.
ENGLISH

From Mineralogy To Geology - The Foundations Of A Science, 1650-1830

by Rachel Laudan

49,01€ + 10% CARD

 <div>"A fine treatment of this critical time in geology''s history. Although it goes against our standard histories of the field, Laudan defends her views convincingly. Her style is direct, with carefully reasoned personal opinions and interpretations clearly defined."—Jere H. Lipps, <i>The Scientist</i></div>
ENGLISH

Science And Relativism - Some Key Controversies In The Philosophy Of Science

by Larry Laudan

34,44€ + 10% CARD

 <div>In recent years, many members of the intellectual community have embraced a radical relativism regarding knowledge in general and scientific knowledge in particular, holding that Kuhn, Quine, and Feyerabend have knocked the traditional picture of scientific knowledge into a cocked hat. Is philosophy of science, or mistaken impressions of it, responsible for the rise of relativism? In this book, Laudan offers a trenchant, wide-ranging critique of cognitive relativism and a thorough introduction to major issues in the philosophy of knowledge.</div>
ENGLISH

Reading The Shape Of Nature - Comparative Zoology At The Agassiz Museum

by Mary P. Winsor

64,91€ + 10% CARD

 Reading the Shape of Nature vividly recounts the turbulent early history of the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard and the contrasting careers of its founder Louis Agassiz and his son Alexander. Through the story of this institution and the individuals who formed it, Mary P. Winsor explores the conflicting forces that shaped systematics in the second half of the nineteenth century. Debates over the philosophical foundations of classification, details of taxonomic research, the young institution's financial struggles, and the personalities of the men most deeply involved are all brought to life. In 1859, Louis Agassiz established the Museum of Comparative Zoology to house research on the ideal types that he believed were embodied in all living forms. Agassiz's vision arose from his insistence that the order inherent in the diversity of life reflected divine creation, not organic evolution. But the mortar of the new museum had scarcely dried when Darwin's Origin was published. By Louis Agassiz's death in 1873, even his former students, including his son Alexander, had defected to the evolutionist camp. Alexander, a self-made millionaire, succeeded his father as director and introduced a significantly different agenda for the museum. To trace Louis and Alexander's arguments and the style of science they established at the museum, Winsor uses many fascinating examples that even zoologists may find unfamiliar. The locus of all this activity, the museum building itself, tells its own story through a wonderful series of archival photographs.
ENGLISH

Diffident Naturalist - Robert Boyle And The Philosophy Of Experiment

by Rose-Mary Sargent

74,19€ + 10% CARD

 In a provocative reassessment of one of the quintessential figures of early modern science, Rose-Mary Sargent explores Robert Boyle's philosophy of experiment, a central aspect of his life and work that became a model for mid- to late seventeenth-century natural philosophers and for many who followed them. Sargent examines the philosophical, legal, experimental, and religious traditions-among them English common law, alchemy, medicine, and Christianity-that played a part in shaping Boyle's experimental thought and practice. The roots of his philosophy in his early life and education, in his religious ideals, and in the work of his predecessors-particularly Bacon, Descartes, and Galileo-are fully explored, as are the possible influences of his social and intellectual circle. Drawing on the full range of Boyle's published works, as well as on his unpublished notebooks and manuscripts, Sargent shows how these diverse influences were transformed and incorporated into Boyle's views on and practice of experiment.
ENGLISH

Great Devonian Controversy - The Shaping Of Scientific Knowledge Among Gentlemanly Specialists

by Martin J. S. Rudwick

70,21€ + 10% CARD

 <div>"Arguably the best work to date in the history of geology."—David R. Oldroyd, <i>Science</i><br> <br> "After a superficial first glance, most readers of good will and broad knowledge might dismiss [this book] as being too much about too little. They would be making one of the biggest mistakes in their intellectual lives. . . . [It] could become one of our century''s key documents in understanding science and its history."—Stephen Jay Gould, <i>New York Review of Books</i><br> <br> "Surely one of the most important studies in the history of science of recent years, and arguably the best work to date in the history of geology."—David R. Oldroyd, <i>Science</i></div>
ENGLISH

Meaning Of Evolution - The Morphological Construction And Ideological Reconstruction Of Darwin''S Theory

by Robert J. Richards

39,74€ + 10% CARD

 <div>Did Darwin see evolution as progressive, directed toward producing ever more advanced forms of life? Most contemporary scholars say no. In this challenge to prevailing views, Robert J. Richards says yes—and argues that current perspectives on Darwin and his theory are both ideologically motivated and scientifically unsound.<br> <br> This provocative new reading of Darwin goes directly to the origins of evolutionary theory. Unlike most contemporary biologists or historians and philosophers of science, Richards holds that Darwin did concern himself with the idea of progress, or telos, as he constructed his theory. Richards maintains that Darwin drew on the traditional embryological meanings of the terms "evolution" and "descent with modification." In the 1600s and 1700s, "evolution" referred to the embryological theory of preformation, the idea that the embryo exists as a miniature adult of its own species that simply grows, or evolves, during gestation. By the early 1800s, however, the idea of preformation had become the concept of evolutionary recapitulation, the idea that during its development an embryo passes through a series of stages, each the adult form of an ancestor species.<br> <br> Richards demonstrates that, for Darwin, embryological recapitulation provided a graphic model of how species evolve. If an embryo could be seen as successively taking the structures and forms of its ancestral species, then one could see the evolution of life itself as a succession of species, each transformed from its ancestor. Richards works with the <i>Origin</i> and other published and archival material to show that these embryological models were much on Darwin''s mind as he considered the evidence for descent with modification.<br> <br> Why do so many modern researchers find these embryological roots of Darwin''s theory so problematic? Richards argues that the current tendency to see evolution as a process that is not progressive and not teleological imposes perspectives on Darwin that incorrectly deny the clearly progressive heart of his embryological models and his evolutionary theory.<br></div>
ENGLISH

Error And The Growth Of Experimental Knowledge

by Deborah G. Mayo

74,19€ + 10% CARD

 This text provides a critique of the subjective Bayesian view of statistical inference, and proposes the author's own error-statistical approach as an alternative framework for the epistemology of experiment. It seeks to address the needs of researchers who work with statistical analysis.
ENGLISH

In The Wake Of Chaos - Unpredictable Order In Dynamical Systems

by Stephen H. Kellert

39,74€ + 10% CARD

 <div>Chaos theory has captured scientific and popular attention. What began as the discovery of randomness in simple physical systems has become a widespread fascination with "chaotic" models of everything from business cycles to brainwaves to heart attacks. But what exactly does this explosion of new research into chaotic phenomena mean for our understanding of the world? In this timely book, Stephen Kellert takes the first sustained look at the broad intellectual and philosophical questions raised by recent advances in chaos theory—its implications for science as a source of knowledge and for the very meaning of that knowledge itself.</div>
ENGLISH

Berkeley'S Philosophy Of Mathematics

by Douglas M. Jesseph

52,99€ + 10% CARD

 In this first modern, critical assessment of the place of mathematics in Berkeley's philosophy and Berkeley's place in the history of mathematics, Douglas M. Jesseph provides a bold reinterpretation of Berkeley's work. Jesseph challenges the prevailing view that Berkeley's mathematical writings are peripheral to his philosophy and argues that mathematics is in fact central to his thought, developing out of his critique of abstraction. Jesseph's argument situates Berkeley's ideas within the larger historical and intellectual context of the Scientific Revolution. Jesseph begins with Berkeley's radical opposition to the received view of mathematics in the philosophy of the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries, when mathematics was considered a "science of abstractions." Since this view seriously conflicted with Berkeley's critique of abstract ideas, Jesseph contends that he was forced to come up with a nonabstract philosophy of mathematics. Jesseph examines Berkeley's unique treatments of geometry and arithmetic and his famous critique of the calculus in The Analyst. By putting Berkeley's mathematical writings in the perspective of his larger philosophical project and examining their impact on eighteenth-century British mathematics, Jesseph makes a major contribution to philosophy and to the history and philosophy of science.
ENGLISH

Science As A Process - An Evolutionary Account Of The Social And Conceptual Development Of Science

by David L. Hull

60,94€ + 10% CARD

 "Legend is overdue for replacement, and an adequate replacement must attend to the process of science as carefully as Hull has done. I share his vision of a serious account of the social and intellectual dynamics of science that will avoid both the rosy blur of Legend and the facile charms of relativism. . . . Because of [Hull's] deep concern with the ways in which research is actually done, Science as a Process begins an important project in the study of science. It is one of a distinguished series of books, which Hull himself edits."-Philip Kitcher, Nature "In Science as a Process, [David Hull] argues that the tension between cooperation and competition is exactly what makes science so successful. . . . Hull takes an unusual approach to his subject. He applies the rules of evolution in nature to the evolution of science, arguing that the same kinds of forces responsible for shaping the rise and demise of species also act on the development of scientific ideas."-Natalie Angier, New York Times Book Review "By far the most professional and thorough case in favour of an evolutionary philosophy of science ever to have been made. It contains excellent short histories of evolutionary biology and of systematics (the science of classifying living things); an important and original account of modern systematic controversy; a counter-attack against the philosophical critics of evolutionary philosophy; social-psychological evidence, collected by Hull himself, to show that science does have the character demanded by his philosophy; and a philosophical analysis of evolution which is general enough to apply to both biological and historical change."-Mark Ridley, Times Literary Supplement "Hull is primarily interested in how social interactions within the scientific community can help or hinder the process by which new theories and techniques get accepted. . . . The claim that science is a process for selecting out the best new ideas is not a new one, but Hull tells us exactly how scientists go about it, and he is prepared to accept that at least to some extent, the social activities of the scientists promoting a new idea can affect its chances of being accepted."-Peter J. Bowler, Archives of Natural History "I have been doing philosophy of science now for twenty-five years, and whilst I would never have claimed that I knew everything, I felt that I had a really good handle on the nature of science, Again and again, Hull was able to show me just how incomplete my understanding was. . . . Moreover, [Science as a Process] is one of the most compulsively readable books that I have ever encountered."-Michael Ruse, Biology and Philosophy
ENGLISH

What Emotions Really Are - The Problem Of Psychological Categories

by Paul E. Griffiths

45,04€ + 10% CARD

 <div>In this provocative contribution to the philosophy of science and mind, Paul E. Griffiths criticizes contemporary philosophy and psychology of emotion for failing to take in an evolutionary perspective and address current work in neurobiology and cognitive science. Reviewing the three current models of emotion, Griffiths points out their deficiencies and constructs a basis for future models that pay equal attention to biological fact and conceptual rigor.<br> <br> "Griffiths has written a work of depth and clarity in an area of murky ambiguity, producing a much-needed standard at the border of science, philosophy, and psychology. . . . As he presents his case, offering a forthright critique of past and present theories, Griffiths touches on such issues as evolution, social construction, natural kinds (categories corresponding with real distinctions in nature), cognition, and moods. While addressing specialists, the book will reward general readers who apply themselves to its remarkably accessible style."—<i>Library Journal</i><br> <br> "<i>What Emotions Really Are</i> makes a strong claim to be one of the best books to have emerged on the subject of human emotion."—Ray Dolan, <i>Nature</i><br> <br></div>
ENGLISH

Explaining Science - A Cognitive Approach

by Ronald N. Giere

49,01€ + 10% CARD

 "This volume presents an attempt to construct a unified cognitive theory of science in relatively short compass. It confronts the strong program in sociology of science and the positions of various postpositivist philosophers of science, developing significant alternatives to each in a reeadily comprehensible sytle. It draws loosely on recent developments in cognitive science, without burdening the argument with detailed results from that source. . . . The book is thus a provocative one. Perhaps that is a measure of its value: it will lead scholars and serious student from a number of science studies disciplines into continued and sharpened debate over fundamental questions."-Richard Burian, Isis "The writing is delightfully clear and accessible. On balance, few books advance our subject as well."-Paul Teller, Philosophy of Science
ENGLISH

Politics Of Evolution - Morphology, Medicine, And Reform In Radical London

by Adrian Desmond

70,21€ + 10% CARD

 <div>Looking for the first time at the cut-price anatomy schools rather than genteel Oxbridge, Desmond winkles out pre-Darwinian evolutionary ideas in reform-minded and politically charged early nineteenth-century London. In the process, he reveals the underside of London intellectual and social life in the generation before Darwin as it has never been seen before.<br> <br> "<i>The Politics of Evolution</i> is intellectual dynamite, and certainly one of the most important books in the history of science published during the past decade."—Jim Secord, <i>Times Literary Supplement</i><br> <br> "One of those rare books that not only stakes out new territory but demands a radical overhaul of conventional wisdom."—John Hedley Brooke, <i>Times Higher Education Supplement</i></div>
ENGLISH

Reconciling Science And Religion - The Debate In Early-Twentieth-Century Britain

by Peter J. Bowler

82,14€ + 10% CARD

 <div>Although much has been written about the vigorous debates over science and religion in the Victorian era, little attention has been paid to their continuing importance in early twentieth-century Britain. <i>Reconciling Science and Religion</i> provides a comprehensive survey of the interplay between British science and religion from the late nineteenth century to World War II.<br> <br> Peter J. Bowler argues that unlike the United States, where a strong fundamentalist opposition to evolutionism developed in the 1920s (most famously expressed in the Scopes "monkey trial" of 1925), in Britain there was a concerted effort to reconcile science and religion. Intellectually conservative scientists championed the reconciliation and were supported by liberal theologians in the Free Churches and the Church of England, especially the Anglican "Modernists." Popular writers such as Julian Huxley and George Bernard Shaw sought to create a non-Christian religion similar in some respects to the Modernist position. Younger scientists and secularists—including Rationalists such as H. G. Wells and the Marxists—tended to oppose these efforts, as did conservative Christians, who saw the liberal position as a betrayal of the true spirit of their religion. With the increased social tensions of the 1930s, as the churches moved toward a neo-orthodoxy unfriendly to natural theology and biologists adopted the "Modern Synthesis" of genetics and evolutionary theory, the proposed reconciliation fell apart.<br> <br> Because the tensions between science and religion—and efforts at reconciling the two—are still very much with us today, Bowler''s book will be important for everyone interested in these issues.<br></div>
ENGLISH

The Romantic Conception Of Life - Science And Philosophy In The Age Of Goethe

by Robert J. Richards

32,45€ + 10% CARD

free shipping

 Uniting the personal and poetic aspects of philosophy and science in a way that the German Romantics themselves would have honored, 'The Romantic Conception of Life' questions how we look at Romanticism in relation to 19th century biology.
ENGLISH

The State Of Nature - Ecology, Community, And American Social Thought, 1900-1950

by Gregg Mitman

133,84€ + 10% CARD

free shipping
ENGLISH

Discovery And Explanation In Biology And Medicine

by Kenneth F. Schaffner

67,59€ + 10% CARD

free shipping
ENGLISH

Reading The Shape Of Nature - Comparative Zoology At The Agassiz Museum

by Mary P. Winsor

135,19€

free shipping

OUT OF STOCK OR NOT AVAILABLE
ENGLISH

Durkheim'S Philosophy Of Science And The Sociology Of Knowledge - Creating An Intellectual Niche

by Warren Schmaus

OUT OF STOCK OR NOT AVAILABLE

 This text demonstrates the link between philosophy of science and scientific practice. Durkheim's sociology is examined as more than a collection of general observations about society, since the constructed theory of the meanings and causes of social life is incorporated.
ENGLISH

Durkheim'S Philosophy Of Science And The Sociology Of Knowledge - Creating An Intellectual Niche

by Warren Schmaus

OUT OF STOCK OR NOT AVAILABLE

 This text demonstrates the link between philosophy of science and scientific practice. Durkheim's sociology is examined as more than a collection of general observations about society, since the constructed theory of the meanings and causes of social life is incorporated.
ENGLISH

The Highlands Controversy - Constructing Geological Knowledge Through Fieldwork In Nineteenth-Century Britain

by David R. Oldroyd

OUT OF STOCK OR NOT AVAILABLE
ENGLISH

Discovery And Explanation In Biology And Medicine

by Kenneth F. Schaffner

95,98€

free shipping

OUT OF STOCK OR NOT AVAILABLE
ENGLISH

Biology Takes Form - Animal Morphology And The German Universities, 1800-1900

by Lynn K. Nyhart

OUT OF STOCK OR NOT AVAILABLE

 This study argues that morphology was integral to the life sciences of the 19th century. It traces the development of morphological research in German universities and illuminates significant institutional as well as intellectual changes in 19th-century German biology.
Loading results...

View more results