The Dappled World: A Study of the Boundaries of Science

by Nancy Cartwright

Overview

In this book Nancy Cartwright argues against a vision of a uniform world completely ordered under a single elegant theory, and proposes instead a patchwork of laws of nature. Combining classic and newly written essays, The Dappled World offers important methodological lessons for both the natural and the social sciences, and will interest anyone who wants to understand how modern science works.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521643368
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	09/23/1999
Pages:	260
Product dimensions:	6.14(w) x 9.29(h) x 0.87(d)

Table of Contents

Introduction; Part I. Where Do Laws of Nature Come From?: 1. Fundamentalism versus the patchwork of laws; 2. Fables and models; 3. Nomological machines and the laws they produce; Part II. Laws and their Limits: 4. Aristotelian natures and the modern experimental method; 5. Causal diversity, causal stability; 6. Ceteris paribus laws and the socio-economic machines; 7. Probability machines: chance set-ups and economic models; Part III. The Boundaries of Quantum and Classical Physics and the Territories they Share: 8. How bridge principles set the domain of quantum theory; 9. How quantum and classical theories relate.

Editorial Reviews

"Cartwright's book provides an account of science that does well to bring matters related to scientific practice into the philosophy of science." Review of Metaphysics

"The Dappled World is Nancy Cartwright's latest and...best exposition of an approach to philosophy of science she has been developing for two decades." Ronald N. Giere, Philosophy of Science

"The Dappled World offers an inspiring picture of the nature of reality, and stimulating advice on how to interpret scientific theories....Fans of Cartwright's earlier books will find some of theri major themes further elucidated here." Philosophy and Phenomenological Research

From the Publisher