Alan Chalmers is a pivotal figure in the philosophy of science, challenging readers to critically examine the very foundations of scientific inquiry. His work dissects the nature of scientific knowledge, the methods employed by scientists, and the complex relationship between theory and observation. Chalmers's accessible yet rigorous approach invites a deeper understanding of how scientific understanding evolves and what distinguishes genuine scientific progress.
This book presents a comprehensive history of atomic theories from Democritus to the twentieth century, examining the distinction between scientific and philosophical knowledge. It challenges conventional views in the history of science and is essential for students and scholars in the History and Philosophy of Science.
This monograph investigates the development of hydrostatics as a science. In the process, it sheds new light on the nature of science and its origins in the Scientific Revolution. Readers will come to see that the history of hydrostatics reveals subtle ways in which the science of the seventeenth century differed from previous periods. The key, the author argues, is the new insights into the concept of pressure that emerged during the Scientific Revolution. This came about due to contributions from such figures as Simon Stevin, Pascal, Boyle and Newton. The author compares their work with Galileo and Descartes, neither of whom grasped the need for a new conception of pressure. As a result, their contributions to hydrostatics were unproductive. The story ends with Newton insofar as his version of hydrostatics set the subject on its modern course. He articulated a technical notion of pressure that was up to the task. Newton compared the mathematical way in hydrostatics and the experimental way, and sided with the former. The subtleties that lie behind Newton's position throws light on the way in which developments in seventeenth-century science simultaneously involved mathematization and experimentation. This book serves as an example of the degree of conceptual change that new sciences often require. It will be of interest to those involved in the study of history and philosophy of science. It will also appeal to physicists as well as interested general readers.
How Science Succeeded and Philosophy Failed to Gain Knowledge of Atoms
The book presents a thorough and well-researched history of atomic theory, tracing its evolution from Democritus to the twentieth century. The author combines his own scholarly findings with those of other researchers, providing a detailed examination of the development of atomic concepts over time. This comprehensive approach challenges readers to engage with the complexities of scientific thought regarding the atom.
A new edition of a classic text in the philosophy of science illuminating the major developments in the field.