Author: Avijit Lahiri
Publisher: Avijit Lahiri
ISBN:
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 252
Book Description
The book is an engaging discourse on a number of interesting and deep issues relating to how Science inquires into Nature. It constitutes a critique of the received view that objectivity and logic are the cornerstones of science, and emphasises the role of inductive inference, of which an essential feature is that, compared to its deductive counterpart, the correspondence between evidence and conclusion is not unique, and that it entails a fundamental element of choice or decision. Induction takes place in the mind of the individual and also in the collective mental process of a scientific community. More precisely, the process of inductive inference is essentially dependent on beliefs, tied to affect and emotions, mostly playing their role in a substratum of conscious, deductive activity. In this the scientific process, which involves induction and deduction in complementary roles, is seen to have deeply cognitive roots. Building around this basic perception and drawing from diverse current trends of research, the book adopts a naturalist approach to pose a critique of a widespread but naive version of scientific realism. The presentation is lucid, informal, and witty, mainly addressed to general readers, though the discourse is at once deep, intriguing and provoking wherein it will prove to be of value to specialists in the areas of philosophy of science and cognitive science.
Inference Belief and Interpretation in Science
Author: Avijit Lahiri
Publisher: Avijit Lahiri
ISBN:
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 252
Book Description
The book is an engaging discourse on a number of interesting and deep issues relating to how Science inquires into Nature. It constitutes a critique of the received view that objectivity and logic are the cornerstones of science, and emphasises the role of inductive inference, of which an essential feature is that, compared to its deductive counterpart, the correspondence between evidence and conclusion is not unique, and that it entails a fundamental element of choice or decision. Induction takes place in the mind of the individual and also in the collective mental process of a scientific community. More precisely, the process of inductive inference is essentially dependent on beliefs, tied to affect and emotions, mostly playing their role in a substratum of conscious, deductive activity. In this the scientific process, which involves induction and deduction in complementary roles, is seen to have deeply cognitive roots. Building around this basic perception and drawing from diverse current trends of research, the book adopts a naturalist approach to pose a critique of a widespread but naive version of scientific realism. The presentation is lucid, informal, and witty, mainly addressed to general readers, though the discourse is at once deep, intriguing and provoking wherein it will prove to be of value to specialists in the areas of philosophy of science and cognitive science.
Publisher: Avijit Lahiri
ISBN:
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 252
Book Description
The book is an engaging discourse on a number of interesting and deep issues relating to how Science inquires into Nature. It constitutes a critique of the received view that objectivity and logic are the cornerstones of science, and emphasises the role of inductive inference, of which an essential feature is that, compared to its deductive counterpart, the correspondence between evidence and conclusion is not unique, and that it entails a fundamental element of choice or decision. Induction takes place in the mind of the individual and also in the collective mental process of a scientific community. More precisely, the process of inductive inference is essentially dependent on beliefs, tied to affect and emotions, mostly playing their role in a substratum of conscious, deductive activity. In this the scientific process, which involves induction and deduction in complementary roles, is seen to have deeply cognitive roots. Building around this basic perception and drawing from diverse current trends of research, the book adopts a naturalist approach to pose a critique of a widespread but naive version of scientific realism. The presentation is lucid, informal, and witty, mainly addressed to general readers, though the discourse is at once deep, intriguing and provoking wherein it will prove to be of value to specialists in the areas of philosophy of science and cognitive science.
Science and Religion in Wittgenstein's Fly-Bottle
Author: Tim Labron
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA
ISBN: 1501305891
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 153
Book Description
Are science and religion in accord or are they diametrically opposed to each other? The common perspectives-for or against religion-are based on the same question, “Do religion and science fit together or not?” These arguments are usually stuck within a preconceived notion of realism which assumes that there is a 'true reality' that is independent of us and is that which we discover. However, this context confuses our understanding of both science and religion. The core concern is not the relation between science and religion, it is realism in science and religion. Wittgenstein's philosophy and developments in quantum theory can help us to untie the knots in our preconceived realism and, as Wittgenstein would say, show the fly out of the bottle. This point of view changes the discussion from science and religion competing for the discovery of the 'true reality' external to us (realism), and from claiming that reality is simply whatever we pragmatically think it is (nonrealism), to realizing the nature and interdependence of reality, language, and information in science and religion.
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA
ISBN: 1501305891
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 153
Book Description
Are science and religion in accord or are they diametrically opposed to each other? The common perspectives-for or against religion-are based on the same question, “Do religion and science fit together or not?” These arguments are usually stuck within a preconceived notion of realism which assumes that there is a 'true reality' that is independent of us and is that which we discover. However, this context confuses our understanding of both science and religion. The core concern is not the relation between science and religion, it is realism in science and religion. Wittgenstein's philosophy and developments in quantum theory can help us to untie the knots in our preconceived realism and, as Wittgenstein would say, show the fly out of the bottle. This point of view changes the discussion from science and religion competing for the discovery of the 'true reality' external to us (realism), and from claiming that reality is simply whatever we pragmatically think it is (nonrealism), to realizing the nature and interdependence of reality, language, and information in science and religion.
Statistical Inference as Severe Testing
Author: Deborah G. Mayo
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1108563309
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 503
Book Description
Mounting failures of replication in social and biological sciences give a new urgency to critically appraising proposed reforms. This book pulls back the cover on disagreements between experts charged with restoring integrity to science. It denies two pervasive views of the role of probability in inference: to assign degrees of belief, and to control error rates in a long run. If statistical consumers are unaware of assumptions behind rival evidence reforms, they can't scrutinize the consequences that affect them (in personalized medicine, psychology, etc.). The book sets sail with a simple tool: if little has been done to rule out flaws in inferring a claim, then it has not passed a severe test. Many methods advocated by data experts do not stand up to severe scrutiny and are in tension with successful strategies for blocking or accounting for cherry picking and selective reporting. Through a series of excursions and exhibits, the philosophy and history of inductive inference come alive. Philosophical tools are put to work to solve problems about science and pseudoscience, induction and falsification.
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1108563309
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 503
Book Description
Mounting failures of replication in social and biological sciences give a new urgency to critically appraising proposed reforms. This book pulls back the cover on disagreements between experts charged with restoring integrity to science. It denies two pervasive views of the role of probability in inference: to assign degrees of belief, and to control error rates in a long run. If statistical consumers are unaware of assumptions behind rival evidence reforms, they can't scrutinize the consequences that affect them (in personalized medicine, psychology, etc.). The book sets sail with a simple tool: if little has been done to rule out flaws in inferring a claim, then it has not passed a severe test. Many methods advocated by data experts do not stand up to severe scrutiny and are in tension with successful strategies for blocking or accounting for cherry picking and selective reporting. Through a series of excursions and exhibits, the philosophy and history of inductive inference come alive. Philosophical tools are put to work to solve problems about science and pseudoscience, induction and falsification.
Where the Conflict Really Lies
Author: Alvin Plantinga
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0199812101
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 376
Book Description
In this long-awaited book, pre-eminent analytical philosopher Alvin Plantinga argues that the conflict between science and theistic religion is actually superficial, and that at a deeper level they are in concord.
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0199812101
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 376
Book Description
In this long-awaited book, pre-eminent analytical philosopher Alvin Plantinga argues that the conflict between science and theistic religion is actually superficial, and that at a deeper level they are in concord.
The Oxford Handbook of Epistemology
Author: Paul K. Moser
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 019020818X
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 649
Book Description
The Oxford Handbook of Epistemology contains 19 previously unpublished chapters by today's leading figures in the field. These chapters function not only as a survey of key areas, but as original scholarship on a range of vital topics. Written accessibly for advanced undergraduates, graduate students, and professional philosophers, the Handbook explains the main ideas and problems of contemporary epistemology while avoiding overly technical detail.
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 019020818X
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 649
Book Description
The Oxford Handbook of Epistemology contains 19 previously unpublished chapters by today's leading figures in the field. These chapters function not only as a survey of key areas, but as original scholarship on a range of vital topics. Written accessibly for advanced undergraduates, graduate students, and professional philosophers, the Handbook explains the main ideas and problems of contemporary epistemology while avoiding overly technical detail.
The Foundations of Scientific Inference
Author: Wesley Salmon
Publisher: University of Pittsburgh Pre
ISBN: 0822971259
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 170
Book Description
Not since Ernest Nagel’s 1939 monograph on the theory of probability has there been a comprehensive elementary survey of the philosophical problems of probablity and induction. This is an authoritative and up-to-date treatment of the subject, and yet it is relatively brief and nontechnical. Hume’s skeptical arguments regarding the justification of induction are taken as a point of departure, and a variety of traditional and contemporary ways of dealing with this problem are considered. The author then sets forth his own criteria of adequacy for interpretations of probability. Utilizing these criteria he analyzes contemporary theories of probability, as well as the older classical and subjective interpretations.
Publisher: University of Pittsburgh Pre
ISBN: 0822971259
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 170
Book Description
Not since Ernest Nagel’s 1939 monograph on the theory of probability has there been a comprehensive elementary survey of the philosophical problems of probablity and induction. This is an authoritative and up-to-date treatment of the subject, and yet it is relatively brief and nontechnical. Hume’s skeptical arguments regarding the justification of induction are taken as a point of departure, and a variety of traditional and contemporary ways of dealing with this problem are considered. The author then sets forth his own criteria of adequacy for interpretations of probability. Utilizing these criteria he analyzes contemporary theories of probability, as well as the older classical and subjective interpretations.
Degrees of Belief
Author: Franz Huber
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 1402091982
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 352
Book Description
This anthology is the first book to give a balanced overview of the competing theories of degrees of belief. It also explicitly relates these debates to more traditional concerns of the philosophy of language and mind and epistemic logic.
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 1402091982
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 352
Book Description
This anthology is the first book to give a balanced overview of the competing theories of degrees of belief. It also explicitly relates these debates to more traditional concerns of the philosophy of language and mind and epistemic logic.
The Structure of Scientific Inference
Author: Mary Hesse
Publisher: Univ of California Press
ISBN: 0520359879
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 318
Book Description
This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1974.
Publisher: Univ of California Press
ISBN: 0520359879
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 318
Book Description
This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1974.
Best Explanations
Author: Kevin McCain
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0198746903
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 315
Book Description
Twenty philosophers offer new essays examining the form of reasoning known as inference to the best explanation - widely used in science and in our everyday lives, yet still controversial. Best Explanations represents the state of the art when it comes to understanding, criticizing, and defending this form of reasoning.
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0198746903
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 315
Book Description
Twenty philosophers offer new essays examining the form of reasoning known as inference to the best explanation - widely used in science and in our everyday lives, yet still controversial. Best Explanations represents the state of the art when it comes to understanding, criticizing, and defending this form of reasoning.
Causal Inference in Statistics
Author: Judea Pearl
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 1119186862
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 162
Book Description
CAUSAL INFERENCE IN STATISTICS A Primer Causality is central to the understanding and use of data. Without an understanding of cause–effect relationships, we cannot use data to answer questions as basic as "Does this treatment harm or help patients?" But though hundreds of introductory texts are available on statistical methods of data analysis, until now, no beginner-level book has been written about the exploding arsenal of methods that can tease causal information from data. Causal Inference in Statistics fills that gap. Using simple examples and plain language, the book lays out how to define causal parameters; the assumptions necessary to estimate causal parameters in a variety of situations; how to express those assumptions mathematically; whether those assumptions have testable implications; how to predict the effects of interventions; and how to reason counterfactually. These are the foundational tools that any student of statistics needs to acquire in order to use statistical methods to answer causal questions of interest. This book is accessible to anyone with an interest in interpreting data, from undergraduates, professors, researchers, or to the interested layperson. Examples are drawn from a wide variety of fields, including medicine, public policy, and law; a brief introduction to probability and statistics is provided for the uninitiated; and each chapter comes with study questions to reinforce the readers understanding.
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 1119186862
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 162
Book Description
CAUSAL INFERENCE IN STATISTICS A Primer Causality is central to the understanding and use of data. Without an understanding of cause–effect relationships, we cannot use data to answer questions as basic as "Does this treatment harm or help patients?" But though hundreds of introductory texts are available on statistical methods of data analysis, until now, no beginner-level book has been written about the exploding arsenal of methods that can tease causal information from data. Causal Inference in Statistics fills that gap. Using simple examples and plain language, the book lays out how to define causal parameters; the assumptions necessary to estimate causal parameters in a variety of situations; how to express those assumptions mathematically; whether those assumptions have testable implications; how to predict the effects of interventions; and how to reason counterfactually. These are the foundational tools that any student of statistics needs to acquire in order to use statistical methods to answer causal questions of interest. This book is accessible to anyone with an interest in interpreting data, from undergraduates, professors, researchers, or to the interested layperson. Examples are drawn from a wide variety of fields, including medicine, public policy, and law; a brief introduction to probability and statistics is provided for the uninitiated; and each chapter comes with study questions to reinforce the readers understanding.