Brazilian Studies in Philosophy and History of Science - An account of recent works

Preface

I History of Science

II Philosophy of Science

III Foundations of Science

Contents

Contributors

1 Introduction

1.1 A First Reflexion

1.2 A Short Account on the History of the Philosophy and Sciences in Brazil

1.3 The Pioneer Generation in Philosophy of Knowledge and Philosophy and History of Science

1.4 Conceptual History of Science and Historical Epistemology

1.5 The Concern for the Social Dimension of History of Science and Epistemology

1.6 Philosophy of the Specific Sciences and Methodological Questions

1.7 General Problems of Philosophy of Science

1.8 Foundational, Formal and Logical Approaches

References

2 Galileo and Modern Science

2.1 Galileo and the Scientific Revolution of the 17th Century

2.2 Active Attitude and Scientific Instruments

2.3 The Alliance Between Science Technical Practices

2.4 Mathematization of Nature and Mechanization of the World

2.5 Autonomy of Science and Universality of Scientific Method

2.6 Conclusion

References

3 Newton and Inverse Problems

3.1 Introduction

3.2 Inverse Problems in Mathematics

3.3 Inverse Problems in Optics

3.4 Inverse Problems in Mechanics

3.5 Inverse Problems in Philosophy

3.6 Conclusion

References

4 Isaac Newton, Robert Hooke and the Mystery of the Orbit

4.1 Introduction

4.2 Hookes Method

4.3 The Concept of Force in the Principia

4.4 The conatus recedendi centro

4.4.1 1664--1665

4.4.2 1669

4.5 The Problem Proposed by Newton to Hooke

4.5.1 The Spiral (November 28, 1679)

4.5.2 The Mysterious Orbit (December 13, 1679)

4.6 What Numerical Integration of Differential Equations Has to Say on the Mysterious Curve

4.7 Some Considerations

4.7.1 Reflection Around the Symmetry Axis

4.7.2 So What?

References

5 Sciences in Brazil: An Overview from 18701920

5.1 Introduction

5.2 Professional Scientists

5.3 Science Conquers the Territory

5.4 Science Conquers the Public

5.5 Science and Health Control in the Cities

5.6 Final Remarks

References

6 Henri Becquerel and Radioactivity: A Critical Revision

6.1 Introduction

6.2 Properties of the Radiation

6.3 Persistence of Emission of the Invisible Radiations

6.4 Other Anomalous Properties of Becquerels Rays

6.5 Correction of Becquerels Mistakes

6.6 Becquerels Strategy

6.6.1 Spontaneity of Radiation

6.6.2 Constancy (in Time) of Emission

6.7 Conclusion

References

7 Regeneration as a Difficulty for the Theory of Natural Selection: Morganx2019;s Changing Attitudes, 1897x2013;1932

7.1 Introduction

7.2 Weismanns Arguments Concerning Regeneration

7.3 Morgans Early Researches on Regeneration

7.4 Regeneration (1901)

7.5 Morgans Evolution and Adaptation (1903)

7.6 Morgans Later View on Evolution

7.7 Final Remarks

References

8 Jean Antoine Nollet's Contributions to the Institutionalization of Physics During the 18th Century

8.1 Introduction

8.2 Restricting the Scope of Physics

8.3 Jean-Antoine Nollet: A Short Biography

8.4 Nollet and Experimental Physics

8.5 Nollet, a Cartesian or Newtonian

References

9 Natural Kinds as Scientific Models

9.1 Kinds and Individuals

9.2 Events and Individuals

9.3 Kinds as Models

9.4 Concluding Remarks

References

10 On the Nature of Mathematical Knowledge

References

11 The Etiological Approach to the Concept of Biological Function

References

12 Human Evolution: Compatibilist Approaches

12.1 Commonsense and the Human Predicament

12.2 Two Kinds of Facts

12.3 Coordination as a Philosophical Task

12.4 The Internal Integrative Project

12.5 The External Integrative Project

12.6 Nativist and Non-nativist Scenarios

12.7 Is Folk Psychology an Adequate Framework for Describing (Nonhuman) Minds

12.8 Dual Inheritance Theory

References

13 Functional Explanations in Biology, Ecology, and Earth System Science: Contributions from Philosophy of Biology

13.1 Introduction

13.2 Wrights Etiological Approach

13.3 Neo-Teleology: The Selectionist Etiological Approaches on Trial

13.4 Why Cummins Cannot Rule Out Neo-Teleology from Biology or Its Philosophy

13.5 Cummins Functional Analysis

13.6 Cummins Functional Analysis Applied to a Biogeochemical System

13.7 Concluding Remarks: A Dualism of Functional Approaches in Biology

References

14 On Darwin, Knowledge and Mirroring

References

15 Freudian Psychoanalysis as a Model for Overcoming theINTtie;Duality Between Natural and Human Sciences

15.1 Introduction

15.2 Epistemological Dualism

15.3 Freud and the Unity of Science

15.4 Preliminary Guidelines for an Integral Naturalism

References

16 The Causal Strength of Scientific Advances

16.1 Units of Scientific Knowledge: Advances

16.2 Probabilistic Causal Relations Between Advances

16.3 The Representation of Causal Connections

16.4 Causal Strength of an Advance

16.5 The Representation of Causal Strengths

16.6 Outlook

References

17 Contextualizing the Contexts of Discovery and Justification: How to do Science Studies in Brazil

17.1 Introduction

17.2 Science as the Light for the World

17.3 Humanizing Science to Strength It

17.4 Peaceful Times

17.5 Conclusion

References

18 Echoes from the Past: The Persisting Shadow of Classical Determinism in Contemporary Health Sciences

18.1 Science and Determinism

18.2 The Currency of Ludwik Flecks Contributions

18.3 An Epistemology of/in Process

18.4 Commonsense About Science

18.5 Consequences of the Common Sense View Genocentrism

References

19 The Metaphysics of Non-individuality

19.1 Individuals

19.2 Non-individuals

19.3 A Proposal

References

20 Einstein, Gdel, and the Mathematics of Time

20.1 Introduction

20.1.1 The Meaning of ''Generic'' in This Paper

20.1.2 Preliminary Concepts and Results

20.1.3 Spacetimes with Cosmic Time

20.1.4 The ZFC Set of All Spacetimes

20.2 Exoticisms

20.2.1 A Very Brief Introduction to Smooth Exotic 4--Manifolds

20.3 Conjectures, Speculations, More Counterintuitive Results

20.3.1 Set Theory with Martin's Axiom

20.3.2 Category and Measure

20.3.3 Results About the Nongenericity of Global Time

20.3.4 Martin's Axiom Again

20.4 Can We Decide Whether an Arbitrary Spacetime Has a Global Time Coordinate?

20.5 Conclusion

References

21 A Contemporary View of Population Genetics in Evolution

21.1 Introduction

21.2 The Synthetic Theory of Evolution

21.3 Reconstruction of the Evolutionary Past

21.4 Molecular Biology and Its Impact on Population Genetics

21.5 Integration of Population Genetics and Phylogenetics

21.6 Concluding Remarks

References

22 Continuity and Change: Charting David Bohms Evolving Ideas on Quantum Mechanics

22.1 Introduction An early version of this paper was read at the 6th meeting of the Associao de Histria e Filosofia da Cincia do Cone Sul [AFHIC], Montevideo, May 2008.

22.2 Shifting to a Causal Quantum Mechanics

22.3 Implicate and Explicate Order

22.4 Returning to the Quantum Potential

22.5 Bohms Legacy

References

23 Quasi-truth and Quantum Mechanics

23.1 Introduction

23.2 Quantum Mechanics and Some Interpretations

23.3 Quasi-truth and Partial Structures

23.4 A Framework for Interpretations of Quantum Mechanics

23.5 Conclusion

References

24 The Qualitative Analysis of Differential EquationsINTbreak; and the Development of Dynamical Systems Theory

24.1 Trajectories Defined by Solutions of Differential Equations

24.1.1 The Definition of a Dynamical System

24.1.2 The Question of Stability

24.2 The General Study of Dynamical Systems: Structural Stability and Genericity

References

25 The Problem of Adequacy of Mathematics to Physics: The Relativity Theory Case

25.1 Introduction

25.2 Interactions Between Physics and Mathematics

25.3 Relativity Theory: Mathematical Foundations and Physical Interpretation

25.4 The Adequacy of Mathematics to Physics: Concepts, Laws and Principles

References

Name Index

Subject Index