Darrell P. Rowbottom's Books

The Instrument of Science

Scientific Anti-Realism Revitalised

By: Darrell P. Rowbottom

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The Instrument of Science

Scientific Anti-Realism Revitalised

By: Darrell P. Rowbottom

Roughly, instrumentalism is the view that science is primarily, and should primarily be, an instrument for furthering our practical ends. It has fallen out of favour because historically influential variants of the view, such as logical positivism, suffered from serious defects. In this book, however, Darrell P. Rowbottom develops a new form of instrumentalism, which is more sophisticated and resilient than its predecessors. This position—‘cognitive instrumentalism’—involves three core theses. First, science makes theoretical progress primarily when it furnishes us with more predictive power or understanding concerning observable things. Second, scientific discourse concerning unobservable things should only be taken literally in so far as it involves observable properties or analogies with observable things. Third, scientific claims about unobservable things are probably neither approximately true nor liable to change in such a way as to increase in truthlikeness. There are examples from science throughout the book, and Rowbottom demonstrates at length how cognitive instrumentalism fits with the development of late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century chemistry and physics, and especially atomic theory. Drawing upon this history, Rowbottom also argues that there is a kind of understanding, empirical understanding, which we can achieve without having true, or even approximately true, representations of unobservable things. In closing the book, he sets forth his view on how the distinction between the observable and unobservable may be drawn, and compares cognitive instrumentalism with key contemporary alternatives such as structural realism, constructive empiricism, and semirealism. Overall, this book offers a strong defence of instrumentalism that will be of interest to scholars and students working on the debate about realism in philosophy of science.

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Page Count

216

Publisher

Routledge

Published Date

ISBN 10

0429663579

ISBN 13

9780429663574

Probability

By: Darrell P. Rowbottom

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Probability

By: Darrell P. Rowbottom

When a doctor tells you theres a one percent chance that an operation will result in your death, or a scientist claims that his theory is probably true, what exactly does that mean? Understanding probability is clearly very important, if we are to make good theoretical and practical choices. In this engaging and highly accessible introduction to the philosophy of probability, Darrell Rowbottom takes the reader on a journey through all the major interpretations of probability, with reference to real-world situations. In lucid prose, he explores the many fallacies of probabilistic reasoning, such as the gamblers fallacy and the inverse fallacy, and shows how we can avoid falling into these traps by using the interpretations presented. He also illustrates the relevance of the interpretation of probability across disciplinary boundaries, by examining which interpretations of probability are appropriate in diverse areas such as quantum mechanics, game theory, and genetics. Using entertaining dialogues to draw out the key issues at stake, this unique book will appeal to students and scholars across philosophy, the social sciences, and the natural sciences.

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Page Count

135

Publisher

John Wiley & Sons

Published Date

ISBN 10

1509500200

ISBN 13

9781509500208

Probability

By: Darrell P. Rowbottom

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Probability

By: Darrell P. Rowbottom

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135

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John Wiley & Sons

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ISBN 10

1509500200

ISBN 13

9781509500208

Popper’s Critical Rationalism

A Philosophical Investigation

By: Darrell Rowbottom

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Popper’s Critical Rationalism

A Philosophical Investigation

By: Darrell Rowbottom

Popper’s Critical Rationalism presents Popper’s views on science, knowledge, and inquiry, and examines the significance and tenability of these in light of recent developments in philosophy of science, philosophy of probability, and epistemology. It develops a fresh and novel philosophical position on science, which employs key insights from Popper while rejecting other elements of his philosophy. Central theses include: Crucial questions about scientific method arise at the level of the group, rather than that of the individual. Although criticism is vital for science, dogmatism is important too. Belief in scientific theories is permissible even in the absence of evidence in their favour. The aim of science is to eliminate false theories. Critical rationalism can be understood as a form of virtue epistemology

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198

Publisher

Routledge

Published Date

ISBN 10

1136861769

ISBN 13

9781136861765

The Instrument of Science

Scientific Anti-Realism Revitalised

By: Darrell P. Rowbottom

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The Instrument of Science

Scientific Anti-Realism Revitalised

By: Darrell P. Rowbottom

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Solve jigsaw puzzle

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Page Count

216

Publisher

Routledge

Published Date

ISBN 10

0429666292

ISBN 13

9780429666292

Popper’s Critical Rationalism

A Philosophical Investigation

By: Darrell Rowbottom

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Popper’s Critical Rationalism

A Philosophical Investigation

By: Darrell Rowbottom

Average ratings

N/A

Write a review

Solve jigsaw puzzle

Age

Page Count

198

Publisher

Routledge

Published Date

ISBN 10

1136861769

ISBN 13

9781136861765

Book's by Darrell P. Rowbottom

The Instrument of Science

The Instrument of Science

Probability

Probability

Probability

Probability

Popper’s Critical Rationalism

Popper’s Critical Rationalism

The Instrument of Science

The Instrument of Science

Popper’s Critical Rationalism

Popper’s Critical Rationalism

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