Introduccion Historica A La Filosofia De Las Ciencias (Ingles)

A Historical Introduction to the Philosophy of Science, Fourth edition

John Losee

OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS

A Historical Introduction to the Philosophy of Science

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A Historical Introduction to the

Philosophy of Science
Fourth edition

John Losee

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Great Clarendon Street, Oxford ox2 6dp Oxford University Press is a department ofthe University of Oxford. It furthers the University’s objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education by publishing worldwide in Oxford New York Athens Auckland Bangkok Bogotá Buenos Aires Calcutta Cape Town Chennai Dar es Salaam Delhi Florence Hong Kong Istanbul Karachi Kuala Lumpur Madrid Melbourne Mexico City Mumbai Nairobi Paris São Paulo Shanghai Singapore Taipei Tokyo TorontoWarsaw with associated companies in Berlin Ibadan Oxford is a registered trade mark of Oxford University Press in the UK and in certain other countries Published in the United States by Oxford University Press Inc., New York © John Losee ,  The moral rights of the author have been asserted Database right Oxford University Press (maker) First published  All rights reserved. No part ofthis publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior permission in writing of Oxford University Press, or as expressly permitted by law, or under terms agreed with the appropriate reprographics rights organizations. Enquiries concerning reproduction outside the scope of the above should be sent to the Rights Department,Oxford University Press, at the address above You must not circulate this book in any other binding or cover and you must impose this same condition on any acquirer British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data Data available Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Data available ISBN –––           Typeset in Adobe Minion by RefineCatch Limited, Bungay, SuffolkPrinted in Great Britain by Biddles Ltd., Guildford and King’s Lynn

Preface
This book is a historical sketch of the development of views about scientific method. Its emphasis is on developments prior to . No attempt has been made to reproduce the contemporary spectrum of positions on the philosophy of science. My purpose has been exposition rather than criticism, and I have endeavoured toabstain from passing judgement on the achievements of the great philosophers of science. It is my hope that this book may be of interest both to students of the philosophy of science and to students of the history of science. If, on reading this book, a few such students are encouraged to consult some of the works listed in the Bibliography at the end of the book, I shall consider my effort to have beenwell spent. I have received numerous helpful suggestions from Gerd Buchdahl, George Clark, and Rom Harré in the preparation of this volume. I am most grateful, both for their encouragement, and for their criticism. Of course, responsibility for what has emerged is mine alone. Lafayette College July 

Preface to the Second Edition
The discussion of post-Second-World-War developments has beenreorganized and expanded in the second edition. There are new chapters on the Logical Reconstructionism of Carnap, Hempel, and Nagel; the critical reaction to this orientation; and the alternative approaches of Kuhn, Lakatos, and Laudan. August 

Preface to the Third Edition
The third edition includes new material on theories of scientific progress, causal explanation, Bayesian confirmationtheory, scientific realism, and alternatives to prescriptive philosophy of science. September 

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prefaces

Preface to the Fourth Edition
Contributions to the discipline have continued at an accelerated pace since publication of the Third Edition. The Fourth Edition incorporates, in Chapters –, recent work on theory-appraisal, experimental practice, theories of explanation,...