Robert Klee

What do scientists think they're doing? What do they think they know (or don't)? How do they justify and defend their beliefs as they relate to science? If we cannot observe something directly (e.g., electrons), do these "theoretical" entities exist? Or are scientists just blinded by their gender, politics and the male need to dominate? This book is an undergraduate level survey of the epistemology of the endeavor of science, starting with the positivists up to the current debates. The author labels himself a "holistic realist" and critiques his own views and those of others from this perspective. A very readable and accessible introduction to the major philosophies and philosophers of science. My only complaint is that of most books of philosophy: sentences are too long and complex. The glossary is large and worth reading straight through on its own.… (mais)