Doing Philosophy: An Introduction Through Thought Experiments

Doing Philosophy: An Introduction Through Thought Experiments PDF

Author: Theodore Schick

Publisher: McGraw-Hill Humanities/Social Sciences/Languages

Published: 2009-06-08

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9780073386683

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This text with readings helps students understand the nature and purpose of philosophical inquiry by explaining what philosophical problems are, how they can be solved, and why searching for solutions is important. By acquainting students with philosophical theories and the thought experiments used to test them, the text fosters active learning and helps students become better thinkers.

Looseleaf for Doing Philosophy: An Introduction Through Thought Experiments

Looseleaf for Doing Philosophy: An Introduction Through Thought Experiments PDF

Author: Lewis Vaughn

Publisher: McGraw-Hill Education

Published: 2019-01-25

Total Pages: 672

ISBN-13: 9781260687040

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Doing philosophy inspires active learning and helps students become more accomplished critical thinkers by encouraging them to reflect on philosophical theories and the thought experiments used to test them. The book traces the historical development of philosophical thinking on a number of central problems and shows how the solutions offered to these problems inform current thinking on many social, political, and religious issues. By introducing students to philosophical theorizing and encouraging them to formulate their own views, Doing Philosophy fosters creative as well as critical thinking and generates an appreciation for the importance of philosophical inquiry.

What If...

What If... PDF

Author: Peg Tittle

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2016-05-23

Total Pages: 256

ISBN-13: 1315509326

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What If. . .Collected Thought Experiments in Philosophy is a brief collection of over 100 classic and contemporary “thought experiments,” each exploring an important philosophical argument. These thought experiments introduce students to the kind of disciplined thought required in philosophy, and awaken their intellectual curiosity. Featuring a clear and conversational writing style that doesn't dilute the ideas, the value of the book is in its simplicity–in both format and tone. Each thought experiment is accompanied by commentary from the author that explains its importance and provides thought-provoking questions, all encapsulated on two pages.

Thought Experiments in Philosophy, Science, and the Arts

Thought Experiments in Philosophy, Science, and the Arts PDF

Author: Mélanie Frappier

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2013

Total Pages: 284

ISBN-13: 0415885442

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From Lucretius throwing a spear beyond the boundary of the universe to Einstein racing against a beam of light, thought experiments stand as a fascinating challenge to the necessity of data in the empirical sciences. Are these experiments, conducted uniquely in our imagination, simply rhetorical devices or communication tools or are they an essential part of scientific practice? This volume surveys the current state of the debate and explores new avenues of research into the epistemology of thought experiments.

Thought Experiments

Thought Experiments PDF

Author: Roy A. Sorensen Associate Professor of Philosophy New York University

Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA

Published: 1992-08-06

Total Pages: 334

ISBN-13: 0198023804

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Sorensen presents a general theory of thought experiments: what they are, how they work, what are their virtues and vices. On Sorensen's 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. Lessons learned about scientific experimentation carry over to thought experiment, and vice versa. Sorensen also assesses the hazards and pseudo-hazards of thought experiments. Although he grants that there are interesting ways in which the method leads us astray, he attacks most scepticism about thought experiments as arbitrary. They should be used, he says, as they generally are used--as part of a diversified portfolio of techniques. All of these devices are individually susceptible to abuse, fallacy, and error. Collectively, however, they provide a network of cross-checks that make for impressive reliability.

The Routledge Companion to Thought Experiments

The Routledge Companion to Thought Experiments PDF

Author: Michael T Stuart

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2017-07-20

Total Pages: 709

ISBN-13: 1351705512

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Thought experiments are a means of imaginative reasoning that lie at the heart of philosophy, from the pre-Socratics to the modern era, and they also play central roles in a range of fields, from physics to politics. The Routledge Companion to Thought Experiments is an invaluable guide and reference source to this multifaceted subject. Comprising over 30 chapters by a team of international contributors, the Companion covers the following important areas: · the history of thought experiments, from antiquity to the trolley problem and quantum non-locality; · thought experiments in the humanities, arts, and sciences, including ethics, physics, theology, biology, mathematics, economics, and politics; · theories about the nature of thought experiments; · new discussions concerning the impact of experimental philosophy, cross-cultural comparison studies, metaphilosophy, computer simulations, idealization, dialectics, cognitive science, the artistic nature of thought experiments, and metaphysical issues. This broad ranging Companion goes backwards through history and sideways across disciplines. It also engages with philosophical perspectives from empiricism, rationalism, naturalism, skepticism, pluralism, contextualism, and neo-Kantianism to phenomenology. This volume will be valuable for anyone studying the methods of philosophy or any discipline that employs thought experiments, as well as anyone interested in the power and limits of the mind.