Overview
This book explores the the problem of realism, both metaphysical and scientific. Renowned specialists in the field - including Michael Devitt, David Papineau, Mark Sainsbury and Wesley Salmon - contribute new essays that shed new light on the main topics in the current realism/antirealism debate. Discussing a wide range of issues related to realism, both in metaphysics and in the philosophy of science, they address more specific questions including those concerning metaphysical realism, scientific realism, the relations between epistemology and ontology, causation, dispositions and personal identity, and the relations between science and common sense. Presenting a comprehensive overview of the problem of realism, as well as in-depth discussion of particular topics, this book offers valuable insights for both students and researchers in the field. It can also be used in undergraduate and graduate courses of philosophy.Synopsis
Anti-realism regarding the physical world is an occupational hazard of philosophers, according to a naturalistic defense of realism among ten original essays by scholars from Italian and British universities arguing on both sides of the current realism-anti-realism debate. Marsonet (U. of Genoa) introduces key issues analyzed including: the epistemological as vs. metaphysical or semantic nature of realism; the questionable equation of anti-realism with idealism; the relationship between metaphysics and epistemology; the relation between scientific method and truth; and ontological pluralism, a tenet of contemporary neo-pragmatism that entertains alternative ways of conceptualizing the world. Lacks a subject index. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR
Booknews
Anti-realism regarding the physical world is an occupational hazard of philosophers, according to a naturalistic defense of realism among ten original essays by scholars from Italian and British universities arguing on both sides of the current realism-anti-realism debate. Marsonet (U. of Genoa) introduces key issues analyzed including: the epistemological as vs. metaphysical or semantic nature of realism; the questionable equation of anti-realism with idealism; the relationship between metaphysics and epistemology; the relation between scientific method and truth; and ontological pluralism, a tenet of contemporary neo-pragmatism that entertains alternative ways of conceptualizing the world. Lacks a subject index. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)