Gerhard Schurz

Philosophy of Science: A Unified Approach, Second Edition combines a general introduction to philosophy of science with an integrated survey of all its important subfields. As the book’s subtitle suggests, this excellent overview is guided methodologically by "a unified approach" to philosophy of science: behind the diversity of scientific fields one can recognize a methodological unity. This unity is worked out in this book, revealing all the while important differences between subject areas. The book offers a two-part approach that makes it an excellent introduction for readers new to the field and a useful resource for more advanced students. Each chapter is divided into two sections. The first section assumes no foreknowledge of the subject introduced, and the second section builds upon the first by bringing into the conversation more advanced, complementary topics from contemporary research. Definitions, key propositions, examples and figures complement all of the core material. At the end of every chapter there are selected readings and exercise questions (with solutions and answers to many of them at the end of the book). The book also includes a comprehensive bibliography and an index. The Second Edition has been revised to make the technical material much more accessible for students outside of the sciences and philosophy. It also incorporates new research over the last decade, including significantly expanded coverage of values and science, mechanistic explanations, and inductive risk. An extended index of subjects that can also be used as a glossary has been added to the back of the book.

Philosophy of Science: A Unified Approach, Second Edition combines a general introduction to philosophy of science with an integrated survey of all its important subfields. As the book’s subtitle suggests, this excellent overview is guided methodologically by "a unified approach" to philosophy of science: behind the diversity of scientific fields one can recognize a methodological unity. This unity is worked out in this book, revealing all the while important differences between subject areas. The book offers a two-part approach that makes it an excellent introduction for readers new to the field and a useful resource for more advanced students. Each chapter is divided into two sections. The first section assumes no foreknowledge of the subject introduced, and the second section builds upon the first by bringing into the conversation more advanced, complementary topics from contemporary research. Definitions, key propositions, examples and figures complement all of the core material. At the end of every chapter there are selected readings and exercise questions (with solutions and answers to many of them at the end of the book). The book also includes a comprehensive bibliography and an index. The Second Edition has been revised to make the technical material much more accessible for students outside of the sciences and philosophy. It also incorporates new research over the last decade, including significantly expanded coverage of values and science, mechanistic explanations, and inductive risk. An extended index of subjects that can also be used as a glossary has been added to the back of the book.

The leading idea of epistemology in the Enlightenment tradition was foundation-theoretic: to reach knowledge, we must not legitimize our beliefs by external authorities, but instead justify them by rational arguments. Recently, the foundation-theoretic ideal of justification has come under attack, the chief criticism being that universal standards of justification are illusory because the problem of a regress of justification is unsolvable. Alternatives to foundation theory (coherentism, externalism, or dogmatism) have been developed that give up central claims of Enlightenment epistemology such as empirical support, cognitive accessibility, or rational justifiability. Optimality Justifications develops a new account of foundation-theoretic epistemology based on the method of optimality justifications. Optimality justifications offer a solution to the regress problem. Rather than striving for a priori demonstrations of reliability, which are impossible, they show that certain epistemic methods are optimal with regard to all accessible alternatives, which is more modestly but provably possible. In particular, optimality justifications can achieve a non-circular justification of deductive, inductive, and abductive reasoning. This volume pursues two goals: a general renewal of foundation-theoretic epistemology based on the account of optimality justifications, and the advancement of methods of optimality justification in important domains of epistemology and the philosophy of science, logic, and cognition. Connected with these goals is the aspiration to develop new ideas for mainstream epistemology, as well as for formal epistemology, philosophy of science, and cognitive science, which are intended to attract researchers, students, and all other readers interested in these fields.

Das Lehrbuch führt voraussetzungsfrei in alle bedeutenden Gebiete der Erkenntnistheorie ein. Es stellt eine Mitte zwischen der zeitgenössischen angelsächsischen Epistemologie und den klassischen Fragen der Erkenntnistheorie her und schlägt auch Brücken zu Nachbardisziplinen. Im letzten Teil wird gezeigt, wie mit den erarbeiteten Methoden grundlegende erkenntnistheoretische Rätsel, wie das Induktionsproblem und das Realismusproblem, aufgelöst werden können. Jedes Kapitel entspricht einer grundlegenden Lehreinheit, die durch Hinzunahme der Exkurse zu einer umfassenderen Einführung erweitert werden können. Die Exkurse können als Online-Zusatzmaterial am Ende der Kapitel-Download-Seite von Kap. 1 "Grundfragen der Erkenntnistheorie" heruntergeladen werden.

Dieses Buch umfaßt einen Grundkurs und einen Aufbaukurs. Der Grundkurs ist voraussetzungsfrei geschrieben und führt den Leser in die Semantik und Beweistheorie der Aussagenlogik und elementaren Prädikatenlogik ein, eingebettet in die allgemeine Theorie des rationalen Schließens. Auf die philosophische Anwendung der Logik in der logischen Rekonstruktion natursprachlicher Argumente liegt besonderes Augenmerk. Zusammenhänge zwischen alternativen logischen Notationen und Techniken werden sorgfältig erklärt. Der anschließende Aufbaukurs schlägt die Brücke zwischen einer philosophischen Logikeinführung und dem fortgeschrittenen Niveau moderner formaler Logik. Nach einer gründlichen Einführung in die volle Prädikatenlogik und ihrer Semantik wendet sich der Band metalogischen Methoden zu. Prominente Resultate zur Korrektheit und Vollständigkeit der Prädikatenlogik, Unentscheidbarkeit der Prädikatenlogik und Unvollständigkeit der Arithmetik 1. Stufe werden Schritt um Schritt erklärt. Abgerundet wird der Band durch vertiefende Exkurse und zahlreiche Übungen mit Lösungen zum Download. Die 2. revidierte Auflage wurde inhaltlich und didaktisch gründlich überarbeitet.

A new approach to Hume's problem of induction that justifies the optimality of induction at the level of meta-induction.Hume's problem of justifying induction has been among epistemology's greatest challenges for centuries. In this book, Gerhard Schurz proposes a new approach to Hume's problem. Acknowledging the force of Hume's arguments against the possibility of a noncircular justification of the reliability of induction, Schurz demonstrates instead the possibility of a noncircular justification of the optimality of induction, or, more precisely, of meta-induction (the application of induction to competing prediction models). Drawing on discoveries in computational learning theory, Schurz demonstrates that a regret-based learning strategy, attractivity-weighted meta-induction, is predictively optimal in all possible worlds among all prediction methods accessible to the epistemic agent. Moreover, the a priori justification of meta-induction generates a noncircular a posteriori justification of object induction. Taken together, these two results provide a noncircular solution to Hume's problem.Schurz discusses the philosophical debate on the problem of induction, addressing all major attempts at a solution to Hume's problem and describing their shortcomings; presents a series of theorems, accompanied by a description of computer simulations illustrating the content of these theorems (with proofs presented in a mathematical appendix); and defends, refines, and applies core insights regarding the optimality of meta-induction, explaining applications in neighboring disciplines including forecasting sciences, cognitive science, social epistemology, and generalized evolution theory. Finally, Schurz generalizes the method of optimality-based justification to a new strategy of justification in epistemology, arguing that optimality justifications can avoid the problems of justificatory circularity and regress.

W hrend in den experimentellen Wissenschaften fast ausschlie lich von statistischer Wahrscheinlichkeit die Rede ist, verstehen in der Philosophie einflussreiche Bayesianer Wahrscheinlichkeit durchweg im subjektiven Sinn rationaler Glaubensgrade, wogegen die dritte Gruppe der mathematischen Wahrscheinlichkeitstheoretiker diesen Interpretationskonflikt ignoriert. In diesem Buch wird die Auffassung vertreten, dass man beide Wahrscheinlichkeitsbegriffe ben tigt, weshalb ein dualistischer Ansatz entwickelt wird, dem es darum geht, Br ckenprinzipien zwischen beiden Wahrscheinlichkeitsbegriffen herauszuarbeiten. In Anlehnung an einen bekannten Passus von Kant l sst sich die dualistische Position so formulieren: Subjektive ohne statistische Wahrscheinlichkeitstheorie ist blind, statistische ohne subjektive Wahrscheinlichkeitstheorie ist leer. Die dualistische Position bedeutet jedoch nicht, dass alles, was in beiden Positionen behauptet wurde, bernommen werden kann; dies w rde zu Widerspr chen f hren. In beiden Positionen m ssen gewisse Anteile fallen gelassen werden, um zu einer koh renten dualistischen Wahrscheinlichkeitstheorie zu gelangen.

Philosophy of Science: A Unified Approach combines a general introduction to philosophy of science with an integrated survey of all its important subfields. As the book’s subtitle suggests, this excellent overview is guided methodologically by "a unified approach" to philosophy of science: behind the diversity of scientific fields one can recognize a methodological unity of the sciences. This unity is worked out in this book, revealing all the while important differences between subject areas. Structurally, this comprehensive book offers a two-part approach, which makes it an excellent introduction for students new to the field and a useful resource for more advanced students. Each chapter is divided into two sections. The first section assumes no foreknowledge of the subject introduced, and the second section builds upon the first by bringing into the conversation more advanced, complementary topics.Definitions, key propositions, examples and figures overview all of the core material. At the end of every chapter there are selected readings and exercises (with solutions at the end of the book). The book also includes a comprehensive bibliography and an index.

Philosophy of Science: A Unified Approach combines a general introduction to philosophy of science with an integrated survey of all its important subfields. As the book’s subtitle suggests, this excellent overview is guided methodologically by "a unified approach" to philosophy of science: behind the diversity of scientific fields one can recognize a methodological unity of the sciences. This unity is worked out in this book, revealing all the while important differences between subject areas. Structurally, this comprehensive book offers a two-part approach, which makes it an excellent introduction for students new to the field and a useful resource for more advanced students. Each chapter is divided into two sections. The first section assumes no foreknowledge of the subject introduced, and the second section builds upon the first by bringing into the conversation more advanced, complementary topics.Definitions, key propositions, examples and figures overview all of the core material. At the end of every chapter there are selected readings and exercises (with solutions at the end of the book). The book also includes a comprehensive bibliography and an index.