Dictionary of Concepts in the Philosophy of Science

(Hardback)

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Durbin, history and philosophy of science scholar and writer, has created a volume that includes about 100 terms from the natural and social sciences. For each term there is an extended definition and discussion of related philosophic issues. Each entry, about three and one-half pages, also provides a bibliography of some six to a dozen sources. A thorough index includes all terms and people discussed in the entries. This is an excellent source for an entree to the scholarly literature on basic topics such as chance, gender, history, indeterminism, instrumentalism, paradigm, scientific method, and vitalism. Choice This new reference, designed for both students and general readers, provides concise essays on more than one hundred basic core ideas or concepts in the natural and social sciences, supplemented by carefully selected bibliographic listings. Written with a minimum of technical jargon, the essays explore such issues as what it means to be scientific, how theories related to facts in science, and how science compares with other intellectual disciplines. After presenting a clear explanation of the concept, each entry discusses the historical and intellectual context that gave rise to theoretical controversy and assesses the significance of the idea for both the particular discipline and science as a whole. The individual bibliographies will guide the student in tracing the historical development of each subject and investigating its scientific and philosophical aspects in greater detail. Cross referencing and subject indexing are supplied.

Reviews

. . . Durbin's interests in the philosophy of science are quite apparent. He has considerable expertise and interest in ancient Greek and medieval philosophy and particularly Aristotle, who is cited in fourty-three of the entries. . . . Durbin conjectures that among the volume's most likely users are upper-level undergraduate students taking a philosophy of science course. Such students would find a number of stimulating ideas, especially about ancient and medieval precursors to some modern debates.-ISIS
Durbin, history and philosophy of science scholar and writer, has created a volume that includes about 100 terms from the natural and social sciences. For each term there is an extended definition and discussion of related philosophic issues. Each entry, about three and one-half pages, also provides a bibliography of some six to a dozen sources. A thorough index includes all terms and people discussed in the entries. This is an excellent source for an entree to the scholarly literature on basic topics such as chance, gender, history, indeterminism, instrumentalism, paradigm, scientific method, and vitalism. The tersely written definitions are at a somewhat technical level that requires background in the field. . . . Appropriate source for upper-level undergraduate and graduate students of the philosophy of science.-Choice
This new dictionary is a summary of approximately one hundred basic controversies covering all the subfields in contemporary philosophy of science.' It is oriented to upper-level undergraduates and graduate students who are beginning study in the philosophy of science, and is designed as a supplement to a textbook or introductory survey of the field. Each of the two--to four-- page articles begins with a brief definition of the term delineating the variety of usages, followed by an essay describing the history of the term and examining the contemporary points of view on the issue. The articles conclude with a substantial list of references and sources of additional information. The bibliographic lists are probably the most valuable aspect of this carefully done work. Great care has been taken to make the bibliographies both historically representative and genuinely helpful helpful to beginning students.' The Sources of additional information' section is a one-paragraph bibliographic essay which leads the reader to basic materials in the field with special attention given to important articles in the major encyclopedias. All works referred to in these lists are in English. The definitions and articles themselves are quite useful descriptions of the terms. While working in a field that is normally laden with jargon, the author has made a good effort at avoiding unexplained technical terms. Good cross-references are provided throughout this work.-College & Research Libraries
." . . Durbin's interests in the philosophy of science are quite apparent. He has considerable expertise and interest in ancient Greek and medieval philosophy and particularly Aristotle, who is cited in fourty-three of the entries. . . . Durbin conjectures that among the volume's most likely users are upper-level undergraduate students taking a philosophy of science course. Such students would find a number of stimulating ideas, especially about ancient and medieval precursors to some modern debates."-ISIS
"Durbin, history and philosophy of science scholar and writer, has created a volume that includes about 100 terms from the natural and social sciences. For each term there is an extended definition and discussion of related philosophic issues. Each entry, about three and one-half pages, also provides a bibliography of some six to a dozen sources. A thorough index includes all terms and people discussed in the entries. This is an excellent source for an entree to the scholarly literature on basic topics such as chance, gender, history, indeterminism, instrumentalism, paradigm, scientific method, and vitalism. The tersely written definitions are at a somewhat technical level that requires background in the field. . . . Appropriate source for upper-level undergraduate and graduate students of the philosophy of science."-Choice
"This new dictionary is a summary of approximately one hundred basic controversies covering all the subfields in contemporary philosophy of science.' It is oriented to upper-level undergraduates and graduate students who are beginning study in the philosophy of science, and is designed as a supplement to a textbook or introductory survey of the field. Each of the two--to four-- page articles begins with a brief definition of the term delineating the variety of usages, followed by an essay describing the history of the term and examining the contemporary points of view on the issue. The articles conclude with a substantial list of references and sources of additional information. The bibliographic lists are probably the most valuable aspect of this carefully done work. Great care has been taken to make the bibliographies both historically representative and genuinely helpful helpful to beginning students.' The Sources of additional information' section is a one-paragraph bibliographic essay which leads the reader to basic materials in the field with special attention given to important articles in the major encyclopedias. All works referred to in these lists are in English. The definitions and articles themselves are quite useful descriptions of the terms. While working in a field that is normally laden with jargon, the author has made a good effort at avoiding unexplained technical terms. Good cross-references are provided throughout this work."-College & Research Libraries

Author Bio

PAUL T. DURBIN is a Professor in the Department of Philosophy and the Center for Science and Culture at the University of Delaware.