Bücher von M. Bunge

(vi) What is probable knowledge as opposed to certain knowledge? To be sure, if construed as a demand for an inventory of knowledge the first problem is not a philosophical one any more than the question 'What is there?'.

Just as religion was born from helplessness, ideology from conflict, and technology from the need to master the environment, so metaphysics - just like theoretical science - was probably begotten by the awe and bewilderment at the boundless variety and apparent chaos of the phenomenal world, i.

The purpose of this Introduction is to sketch our approach to the study of value, morality and action, and to show the place we assign it in the systemof human knowledge.

This collection of essays deals with three clusters of problems in the philo sophy of science: scientific method, conceptual models, and ontological underpinnings.

P-jT T presupposes P p, q arbitrary (unspecified) propositions (statements) P(x) x has the property P (or x is a P) {xl P(x)} set of the x such that every x is a P pVq p and/or q (inclusive disjunction) p &q p and q (conjunction) p-+q if p, then q (conditional or implication) p if and only if q (biconditional or equivalence) p-q sum over i 2:;

When brought to bear on concrete objects, such as a community of speakers, semantics seeks to answer problems concerning certain linguistic facts - such as disclosing the interpretation code inherent in the language or explaning the speakers' ability or inability to utter and understand new sentences ofthe language.

The aims of this Introduction are to characterize the philosophy of science and technology, henceforth PS & T, to locate it on the map ofiearning, and to propose criteria for evaluating work in this field.

The two doctrines are logically independent: hedonism is consistent with immaterialism, and materialism is compatible with high minded morals. Philosophical materialism is not a recent fad and it is not a solid block: it is as old as philosophy and it has gone through six quite different stages.

The purpose of this Introduction is to sketch our approach to the study of value, morality and action, and to show the place we assign it in the system of human knowledge.

(vi) What is probable knowledge as opposed to certain knowledge? To be sure, if construed as a demand for an inventory of knowledge the first problem is not a philosophical one any more than the question 'What is there?'.

- What are physical theories about: physical systems or laboratory operations or both or neither? - How are the various physical theories inter-related: like Chinese boxes or in more complex ways? - How does a theory face experiment: single-handed or with the help of further theories?