Knowledge and Reference in Empirical Science / Edition 1

by Jody Azzouni

Overview

Knowledge and Reference in Empirical Science is a fascinating study of the bounds between science and language: in what'sense, and of what, does science provide knowledge? Is science an instrument only distantly related to what's real? Can the language of science be used to adequately describe the truth?
In this book, Jodi Azziouni investigates the technology of science - the actual forging and exploiting of causal links, between ourselves and what we endeavor to know and understand.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780415333542
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	12/11/2003
Series:	International Library of Philosophy , #2
Pages:	272
Product dimensions:	6.12(w) x 9.19(h) x (d)

About the Author

Jody Azzouni is Associate Professor of Philosophy at Tufts University. He is the author of Metaphysical Myths, Mathematical Practice: The Ontology and Epistemology of the Exact Sciences.

Table of Contents

General introduction Part I Procedural foundationalism 1 Introduction to Part I 2 Program and scope 3 Reductionism, confirmation holism, theoretical deductivism 4 Some observations on reductionism and the "autonomy" of the special sciences 5 Some comments on the philosophical implications of the use of idealizations in science 6 Gross regularities 7 Procedures and perceptual procedures 8 Shedding perceptual procedures 9 Conclusion to Part I Part II Two-tiered coherentism 1 Introduction to Part II 2 Evidential centrality 3 Ob-similar extensions and ob*-similar extensions 4 Ob-similarity, observational regularities, reasons for incommensurability 5 Kuhnian considerations and the accumulation of knowledge 6 Perceptual impermeability and biotechnical incommensurability 7 Methodological observations about epistemology, scepticism and truth Part III Permuting reference 1 Introduction to Part III 2 Formal considerations 3 Quine’s version 4 Field’s version 5 Putnam’s version 6 The ontological status of causality 7 Some puzzles about reference 8 Conclusion to Part III Part IV The transcendence of reference 1 Introduction to Part IV 2 Troubles for naive naturalism 3 The elusivity of reference 4 Causality and reference: an analysis 5 Transcending procedures 6 Transcendence and its discontents

Editorial Reviews

Haunting the bounds between science and language, Azzouni (philosophy, Tufts U.) explores in what sense science provides knowledge; whether it is to be taken literally; whether it is an instrument only distantly related to reality; and whether the language of science can be used to describe the truth adequately. He begins by investigating the technology of science as actually forging and exploiting causal links between people and what they endeavor to refer to and know. He challenges notions that scientific laws can be at best only approximate and at worst wrong. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Booknews

"This work is like a breath of fresh air. It is a very original, cogently argued study of the differences between what we do and what we say, as that difference bears on crucial isues in the philosophy of science, mathematics, language, as well as epistemology and metaphysics. The unity of view that is achieved across these philosophical areas is truly impressive." - Arnold Koslow, CUNY, USA

From the Publisher