Perception and Discovery

Description

Norwood Russell Hanson was one of the most important philosophers of science of the post-war period. Hanson brought Wittgensteinian ordinary language philosophy to bear on the concepts of science, and his treatments of observation, discovery, and the theory-ladenness of scientific facts remain central to the philosophy of science. Additionally, Hanson was one of philosophy’s great personalities, and his sense of humor and charm come through fully in the pages of Perception and Discovery. Perception and Discovery, originally published in 1969, is Hanson’s posthumous textbook in philosophy of science. The book focuses on the indispensable role philosophy plays in scientific thinking. Perception and Discovery features Hanson’s most complete and mature account of theory-laden observation, a discussion of conceptual and logical boundaries, and a detailed treatment of the epistemological features of scientific research and scientific reasoning. This book is of interest to scholars of philosophy of science, particularly those concerned with Hanson’s thought and the development of the discipline in the middle of the 20th century. However, even fifty years after Hanson’s early death, Perception and Discovery still has a great deal to offer all readers interested in science. Front Matter ....Pages i-xxii Front Matter ....Pages 1-1 On Philosophizing—and Some Logical Distinctions (Matthew D. Lund)....Pages 3-14 Defining Conceptual Boundaries (Matthew D. Lund)....Pages 15-27 Measuring and Counting: More Boundaries (Matthew D. Lund)....Pages 29-40 Front Matter ....Pages 41-41 There Is More to Seeing Than Meets the Eye (Matthew D. Lund)....Pages 43-54 Seeing the Same Thing (Matthew D. Lund)....Pages 55-65 Seeing and Seeing As (Matthew D. Lund)....Pages 67-82 Seeing As and Seeing That (Matthew D. Lund)....Pages 83-98 Seeing, Saying, and Knowing (Matthew D. Lund)....Pages 99-114 Spectacles Behind the Eyes (Matthew D. Lund)....Pages 115-130 Can We See Facts? (Matthew D. Lund)....Pages 131-142 Facts and Seeing That (Matthew D. Lund)....Pages 143-152 Front Matter ....Pages 153-153 Waves, Particles, and Facts (Matthew D. Lund)....Pages 155-169 Hypotheses Facta Fingunt (Matthew D. Lund)....Pages 171-184 Scientific Simplicity and Crucial Experiments (Matthew D. Lund)....Pages 185-198 The Systematic Side of Science (Matthew D. Lund)....Pages 199-209 Discovering Causes and Becauses (Matthew D. Lund)....Pages 211-221 What Happens as a Rule (Matthew D. Lund)....Pages 223-232 Theory-Laden Language (Matthew D. Lund)....Pages 233-244 The Scientists’ Toolbox (Matthew D. Lund)....Pages 245-255 Laws, Truths, and Hypotheses (Matthew D. Lund)....Pages 257-269 Principles and Platitudes (Matthew D. Lund)....Pages 271-282 Front Matter ....Pages 283-283 Frequencies and the Mathematics of Probability (Matthew D. Lund)....Pages 285-294 Using and Interpreting the Probability Calculus (Matthew D. Lund)....Pages 295-307 Elements of Statistical Technique (Matthew D. Lund)....Pages 309-320 The Principle of Uniformity Revisited (Matthew D. Lund)....Pages 321-330 Back Matter ....Pages 331-339