Thought Experiments Download Free (EPUB, PDF)
Can merely thinking about an imaginary situation provide evidence for how the world actually is--or how it ought to be? In this lively book, Roy A. Sorensen addresses this question with an analysis of a wide variety of thought experiments ranging from aesthetics to zoology. Presenting the first general theory of thought experiment, he sets it within an evolutionary framework and integrates recent advances in experimental psychology and the history of science, with special emphasis on Ernst Mach and Thomas Kuhn.Sorensen explores what thought experiments are, how they work, and what their virtues and vices are. In his view, philosophy differs from science in degree, but not in kind. For this reason, he claims, it is possible to understand philosophical thought experiments by concentrating on their resemblance to scientific relatives. Sorensen assesses the hazards of thought experiments and grants that there are interesting ways in which the method leads us astray, but attacks most scepticism about thought experiments as arbitrary. He maintains that they should be used--as they generally are--as part of a diversified portfolio of techniques, creating a network of cross-checks that make for impressive reliability.
Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: Oxford University Press; Reprint edition (October 29, 1998)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 019512913X
ISBN-13: 978-0195129137
Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.7 x 9.1 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
Best Sellers Rank: #703,812 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #268 in Books > Textbooks > Humanities > Philosophy > Epistemology #333 in Books > Textbooks > Humanities > Philosophy > Logic #598 in Books > Politics & Social Sciences > Philosophy > Epistemology
It's hard to find books that are really worth having. For example, Drahos book - "Philosophy of IP" and Eisenstein's "Printing Press as an Agent of Change" are two similar grade books.You first have to ask, "who has written about thought experiments in the first place" and then "who has written a book at this level of quality?". For all of the trash talk about "innovation" that goes around these days and all of those people who pretend to know something about innovation starting with the CEO's of any of your famous companies right down to the arrogant high school students, should take some time and read this book because this gets to the heart of thinking.It is not exhaustive nor was it intended to be I believe but Sorenson did a very fine job with what he presented and I highly recommend it to technical and non-technical minded people.Take your time and read a few pages a time and then chew on what he has to say. You don't wolf down a bottle of 12 year old scotch like Gatorade. Neither should you consume this in such a manner.Fine piece of work.
Hold That Thought For Kids: Capturing Precious Memories through Fun Questions, Images, & Conversations (Hold That Thought Keepsake Coversation ... That Thought Keepsake Conversation Journals) Crisis and Renewal: The Era of the Reformations (Westminster History of Christian Thought) (Westminster Histories of Christian Thought) (The Westminster History of Christian Thought) Environmental Experiments About Air (Science Experiments for Young People) Lives of the Scientists: Experiments, Explosions (and What the Neighbors Thought) Albert Einstein and Relativity for Kids: His Life and Ideas with 21 Activities and Thought Experiments (For Kids series) Thought Experiments The Inuit Thought of It: Amazing Arctic Innovations (We Thought of It) Native American Thought of It: Amazing Inventions and Innovations (We Thought of It) The History of Islamic Political Thought, Second Edition: The History of Islamic Political Thought: From the Prophet to the Present Christianity and Western Thought: Journey to Postmodernity in the Twentieth Century: 3 (Christianity & Western Thought) Collage Lab: Experiments, Investigations, and Exploratory Projects (Lab Series) Mohandas K. Gandhi, Autobiography: The Story of My Experiments with Truth The Everything Kids' Science Experiments Book: Boil Ice, Float Water, Measure Gravity-Challenge the World Around You! Science Experiments You Can Eat Edible Science: Experiments You Can Eat The Book of Totally Irresponsible Science: 64 Daring Experiments for Young Scientists The Totally Irresponsible Science Kit: 18 Daring Experiments for Young Scientists Junk Drawer Physics: 50 Awesome Experiments That Don't Cost a Thing (Junk Drawer Science) TIME For Kids Big Book of Science Experiments: A step-by-step guide Mad Margaret Experiments with the Scientific Method (In the Science Lab)
