Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

This balanced and up-to-date introduction to the philosophy of science covers all the main topics in the area, and initiates the student into the moral and social reality of science. O'Hear discusses the growth of knowledge of science, the status of scientific theories and their relationship to observational data, the extent to which scientific theories rest on unprovable paradigms, and the nature of scientific explanations. In later chapters he considers probability, scientific reductionism, the relationship between science and technology, and the relationship between scientific and other values.

Table of contents provided by Syndetics

• Foreword (p. vii)
• I Science as an Intellectual Activity (p. 1)
• 12 Induction (p. 12)
• 3 Falsification (p. 35)
• 4 Science and Non-Science (p. 54)
• 5 Observation and Theory (p. 82)
• 6 Scientific Realism (p. 106)
• 7 Probability (p. 144)
• 8 Scientific Reductions (p. 177)
• 9 Science and Culture (p. 202)
• Suggestions for Further Reading (p. 233)
• Index (p. 237)

Reviews provided by Syndetics

CHOICE Review

O'Hear (University of Bradford, UK) discusses most of the primary topics in contemporary philosophy of science. He devotes whole chapters to science as intellectual activity, induction, falsification, science versus nonscience, observation and theory, scientific realism, probability, scientific reduction, and science and culture. O'Hear often goes beyond mere exposition by sketching his own general approach to the solution of various problems. He presents clearly the dominant competing approaches to the relevant problems, and he briefly assesses their relative merits and demerits. O'Hear generally favors, with certain qualifications, Karl Popper's position on the nature of scientific justification; he devotes more attention to Popper than to any other contemporary philosopher. Overall, the book is very well written, nicely organized, and nontechnical. This reviewer knows of no better comprehensive introductory overview of the main problems in contemporary philosophy of science. Recent, related works include Readings in the Philosophy of Science, ed. by B. Brody and R. Grandy (2nd ed., 1989); Ronald Giere, Explaining Science (CH, Dec '88); and Paul Thagard, Computational Philosophy of Science (CH, Jan '89). Highly recommended for any library supporting academic work at any level in philosophy or in any of the natural sciences. P.K. Moser Loyola University of Chicago