| Title | : | Foresight and Understanding: An Inquiry into the Aims of Science |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0061305642 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780061305641 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 117 |
| Publication | : | First published January 1, 1961 |
Foresight and Understanding: An Inquiry into the Aims of Science Reviews
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Another in a continuing series: books I was assigned to read in college but *cough* couldn't find the time to. This is a very brief epistemological investigation (by a philosopher) of how science is done. Using examples such as Aristotle, Ptolemy, Galileo, Newton, Kant, Boyle, and Lavoisier, Toulmin argues that we shouldn't dismiss as naive the efforts of earlier scientists (or natural philosophers) just because their explanations don't comport with the "facts" or systems of thought we have in place today. On the contrary, their work was an essential kind of timber-clearing that made possible the edifices of modern science.
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Excellent short book on the purpose and brief history of key scientific theories. Good for those without deep knowledge of either science or philosophy as its a good intro into the philosophy of science. Worth a read~
