Measurement and Meaning

(Hardback)

Publishing Details

Classifications

Physical Properties

Description

Measurement and Meaning takes stock of the most important projects in the conceptual grounding of measurement, from early representational theories through the axiomatic approach to operationalism. Ferenc Csatri thoroughly analyzes the main philosophical issues and identifies problems with each of these accounts. In addition, he observes the peculiarities of measurement in social sciences. Ultimately, he argues for a constructivist approach to measurement. As long as measurement is conceived as an assignment of numerical structures to represent properties (as traditionally done), one might feel obliged to account for continuum, errors, and truth. The author puts these key concepts under scrutiny and arrives at a non-trivial, constructive interpretation for each. On these new conceptual grounds, the active quest for congruence in phenomena will be the key to establishing meaningful measurement procedures.

Reviews

This book is an inspiring analysis developed through conceptual and historical trends, providing philosophical arguments in favor of a constructionist approach to measurement and spanning both physical and non-physical properties. -- Luca Mari, LIUC-Universit Cattaneo

Author Bio

Ferenc Csatri, PhD, is an independent scholar.