In this book, David Stump traces alternative conceptions of the a priori in the philosophy of science and defends a unique position in the current debates over conceptual change and the constitutive elements in science. Stump emphasizes the unique epistemological status of the constitutive elements of scientific theories, constitutive elements being the necessary preconditions that must be assumed in order to conduct a particular scientific inquiry. These constitutive elements, such as logic, mathematics, and even some fundamental laws of nature, were once taken to be a priori knowledge but can change, thus leading to a dynamic or relative a priori. Stump critically examines developments in thinking about constitutive elements in science as a priori knowledge, from Kant’s fixed and absolute a priori to Quine’s holistic empiricism. By examining the relationship between conceptual change and the epistemological status of constitutive elements in science, Stump puts forward an argument that scientific revolutions can be explained and relativism can be avoided without resorting to universals or absolutes.
By:
David J. Stump (University of San Francisco USA) Imprint: Routledge Country of Publication: United Kingdom Dimensions:
Height: 229mm,
Width: 152mm,
Spine: 13mm
Weight: 408g ISBN:9781138890138 ISBN 10: 1138890138 Series:Routledge Studies in the Philosophy of Science Pages: 194 Publication Date:20 May 2015 Audience:
College/higher education
,
Primary
,
A / AS level
Format:Hardback Publisher's Status: Active
David J. Stump is a philosopher of science at the University of San Francisco, USA. He is co-editor, with Peter Galison, of The Disunity of Science, and is author of numerous journal articles on the history and philosophy of science.