Böcker av James Robert Brown

In response to recent critics, this is a defence of realism. The roles of abstraction, abstract objects and "a priori" methods are explored, demonstrating the ways in which science mirrors the world.

Brown chronicles engagements in the science wars-from the "Sokal affair" to angry confrontations over the nature of evidence, the possibility of objectivity, and the methods of science-to show how the contested terrain is science, but the prize is political: Whoever wins the science wars will have an unprecedented influence on our governance.

Newton's bucket, Einstein's elevator, Schrodinger's cat - these are some of the best-known examples of thought experiments in the natural sciences. But what function do these experiments perform? Are they really experiments at all? This title defends apriorism in the physical world.

Tackles important as well as enduring questions in the mathematical sciences. This book takes an approach, encompassing non-standard topics such as the role of visual reasoning, the importance of notation, and the place of computers in mathematics, as well as traditional topics such as formalism, Platonism, and constructivism.

An investigation into the philosophical implications of thought experiments in science. Brown provides a fascinating account of some of the most influential thought experiments in the history of science.