The Antinomy of Science Examples of the scientific assertion S is P: The square of the time of revolution of any planet is proportional to the cube of the mean distance from the sun. (Kepler’s third law of planetary orbits) The force of attraction between two bodies is in direct proportion to the product of…
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A SYMBOLIC ASSERTION AND A SPACE-TIME EVENT If one examines the characteristic moments of the scientific method, one will discover that they are basically assertions. Even if one happens to be an operationalist and maintains that the business of science is defining the physical operations by which concepts are arrived at and…
A belated birthday greeting to Nick still going strong at eighty-nine. Nick is one of the most prolific, wide-ranging, insightful, eclectic and kindest philosophers I have known. See Michele Marsonet’s Internet Enclyclopedia of Philosophy entry for Nick. ConservatismEpistemologyIdealismmetaphysicsMichele Marsonetnicholas rescherphilosophical logicPhilosophyPhilosophy of sciencepragmatism
My chum David Livingstone Smith’s long awaited edited collection of essays by a top-notch lineup is now available. To get a better sense of the scope of the project check out the book’s homepage as well as David’s other writings here. For the past thirty years I been of the view that though Hume did not have…
Here is the just published collection of papers in ZYGON. A big thanks to all the contributors and to ZYGON’S ecumenical editor for his patient shepherding of the project. benjamin alexanderElizabeth CoreyexistentialismJohn D. SykesPhilosophy of LanguagePhilosophy of sciencereligion and scienceStacey E. AkeWalker Percy
It is notable that the so-called “new atheists” never did take on Putnam. Shows how lily-livered they really are, picking on the usual easy targets. Ditto for his critique of scientism. Putnam’s Mind, Language and Reality. Philosophical Papers, vol. 2. remains one of my favorite books. The Guardian obit. Martha Nussbaum on Putnam. EpistemologyethicsfunctionalismHilary PutnamJewish PhilosophymetaphysicsPhilosophy of Languagephilosophy…
Susan Haack is one of my absolutely favourite living (and still very active) philosophers. The appellation Passionate Moderate had such deep resonance from the moment I read her eponymously titled book. (This is a great book to read if you are coming to formal philosophy for the first time: Susan writes without ever being “jargony” or condescending…
