What is science? -- Scientific inference -- Explanation in science -- Realism and anti-realism -- Scientific change and scientific revolutions -- Philosophical problems in physics, biology, and psychology -- Science and its critics.

This Very Short Introduction provides a concise overview of the main themes of contemporary philosophy of science. After a short history, the author goes on to investigate the nature of scientific reasoning, scientific explanation and more.

How much faith should we place in what scientists tell us? Is it possible for scientific knowledge to be fully 'objective'? What, really, can be defined as science? In the second edition of this Very Short Introduction, Samir Okasha explores the main themes and theories of contemporary philosophy of science, and investigates fascinating, challenging questions such as these. Starting at the very beginning, with a concise overview of the history of science, Okasha examines the nature of fundamental practices such as reasoning, causation, and explanation. Looking at scientific revolutions and the issue of scientific change, he asks whether there is a discernible pattern to the way scientific ideas change over time, and discusses realist versus anti-realist attitudes towards science. He finishes by considering science today, and the social and ethical philosophical questions surrounding modern science. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

Over the last forty years the philosophy of biology has emerged as an important sub-discipline of the philosophy of science. Covering some of science's most divisive topics, such as philosophical issues in genetics, it also encompasses areas where modern biology has increasingly impinged on traditional philosophical questions, such as free will, essentialism, and nature vs nurture. In this Very Short Introduction Samir Okasha outlines the core issues with which contemporary philosophy of biology is engaged. Offering a whistle-stop tour of the history of biology, he explores key ideas and paradigm shifts throughout the centuries, including areas such as the theory of evolution by natural selection; the concepts of function and design; biological individuality; and the debate over adaptationism. Throughout Okasha makes clear the relevance of biology for understanding human beings, human society, and our place in the natural world, and the importance of engaging with these issues. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

What are philosophers trying to achieve? How can they succeed? Does philosophy make progress? Is it in competition with science, or doing something completely different, or neither? Timothy Williamson tackles some of the key questions surrounding philosophy in new and provocative ways, showing how philosophy begins in common sense curiosity, and develops through our capacity to dispute rationally with each other. Discussing philosophy's ability to clarify our thoughts, he explains why such clarification depends on the development of philosophical theories, and how those theories can be tested by imaginative thought experiments, and compared against each other by standards similar to those used in the natural and social sciences. He also shows how logical rigour can be understood as a way of enhancing the explanatory power of philosophical theories. Drawing on the history of philosophy to provide a track record of philosophical thinking's successes and failures, Williams overturns widely held dogmas about the distinctive nature of philosophy in comparison to the sciences, demystifies its methods, and considers the future of the discipline. From thought experiments, to deduction, to theories, this Very Short Introduction will cause you to totally rethink what philosophy is. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. Previously published in hardback as Doing Philosophy

The debate between science and religion is never out of the news: emotions run high, fuelled by polemical bestsellers like The God Delusion and, at the other end of the spectrum, high-profile campaigns to teach 'Intelligent Design' in schools. Yet there is much more to the debate than the clash of these extremes. As Thomas Dixon shows in this balanced and thought-provoking introduction, many have seen harmony rather than conflict between faith and science. He explores not only the key philosophical questions that underlie the debate, but also the social, political, and ethical contexts that have made 'science and religion' such a fraught and interesting topic in the modern world, offering perspectives from non-Christian religions and examples from across the physical, biological, and social sciences.. Along the way, he examines landmark historical episodes such as the trial of Galileo by the Inquisition in 1633, and the famous debate between 'Darwin's bulldog' Thomas Huxley and Bishop Wilberforce in Oxford in 1860. The Scopes 'Monkey Trial' in Tennessee in 1925 and the Dover Area School Board case of 2005 are explained with reference to the interaction between religion, law, and education in modern America. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

You are about to read a much-needed book that will open your eyes to the Africa that has been hidden from us. Thinking out of the box of Western thought pattern, Dr. Jonathan has been able to give to the world this revolutionary masterpiece in the intellectual history of Africa. By systematizing African science he has emphasized that more than one cock crows. We may therefore call him the Demiurge of new African renaissance. Mary Nelson Sankofa Directions Houston Texas, USA Se wo were fi na wosan kofa a, yenkyi. Learning from the past in building the future ----------------------------------------------------------------- With this masterpiece, Dr. Jonathan has answered all the critics of Africas intellectual and inventive ability. He has opened a door to Africas authentic renaissance. The work is a beacon in Africas history and the author has emerged as one of the continents brightest minds. Chris Iwarah The Sun Newspaper ---------------------------------------------------------------- With this towering intellectual accomplishment, Dr. Jonathan Chimakonam has not only proven that Africans are capable of revolutionary thoughts but has emerged as one of the leading original thinkers on the continent. In fact, in this piece of adorable literature, Jonathan could be said to have done for Africa what thinkers like Francis Bacon did for the West Prof. G. O. Ozumba Head, Department of Philosophy University of Calabar, Nigeria ----------------------------------------------------------------- What Jonathan has done is not different from what the builders of Western science did. In fact, he has taken his seat as the Francis Bacon of African science project and it would not be out of place if one describes him in the future as the father of African science. Okechukwukelu Okonkwo Deputy Director Programmes Anambra Broadcasting Service ----------------------------------------------------------------- This book is a great exploration into a rich repository of wisdom and knowledge which needs to be recaptured. It is African renaissance that will reposition Africa in the world of technology and development. This is both challenging and refreshing. With emerging scholars like Jonathan, there is hope for Africa! Hakuna Matata! Venerable Professor Udobata Onunwa Director, International Center for the Study of African Languages and Culture, Birmingham, UK

Introduction Klyne Snodgrass On Bringing Home the Bacons: Reflections on Science, Faith, and Scripture Iain Provan Response to Provan John Walton Paul and the Person: Perspectives from Philosophy and the Cognitive Sciences Susan Grove Eastman Response to Eastman A. Andrew Das Evolutionary Psychology and Romans 5-7: The "Slavery to Sin" in Human Nature Paul Allen Response to Allen Christopher Lilley Multiverse: Philosophical and Theological Perspectives Gerald B. Cleaver Made as Mirrors: Biblical and Neuroscientific Reflections on Imaging God Joshua M. Moritz Response to Moritz Tyler Johnson Forming Identities in Grace: Imitatio and Habitus as Contemporary Categories for the Sciences of Mindfulness and Virtue Michael Spezio Knowing in Part: The Demands of Scientific and Religious Knowledge in Everyday Decisions, or "She Blinded Me With Science!" and Deciding Whether to Wear Checks with Stripes Johnny Wei-Bing Lin Response to Lin Linda M. Eastwood "A Rock of Offense": The Problem of Scripture in Science and Theology Hans Madueme Response to Madueme Matthew Maas Annotated Bibliography on Science and Religion Presenters and Respondents

Do you think of atheists as immoral pessimists who live their lives without meaning, purpose, or values? Think again! Atheism: A Very Short Introduction sets out to dispel the myths that surround atheism and show how a life without religious belief can be positive, meaningful, and moral.

This book illustrates the method of multiple hypotheses with detailed examples and describes the limitations facing all methods (including the method of multiple hypotheses) as the means for constructing knowledge about nature. Author Charles Reichardt explains the method of multiple hypotheses using a range of real-world applications involving the causes of crime, traffic fatalities, and home field advantage in sports. The book describes the benefits of utilizing multiple hypotheses and the inherent limitations within which all methods must operate because all conclusions about nature must remain tentative and forever subject to revision. Nonetheless, the book reveals how the method of multiple hypotheses can produce strong inferences even in the face of the inevitable uncertainties of knowledge. The author also explicates some of the most foundational ideas in philosophy of science including the notions of the underdetermination of theory by data, the Duhem-Quine thesis, and the theory-ladenness of observation. This book will be important reading for advanced undergraduates, graduates, and professional researchers across the social, behavioral, and natural sciences wanting to understand this method and how to apply it to their field of interest.