Thought experiments in methodological and historical contexts / edited by Katerina Ierodiakonou, Sophie Roux.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Ierodiakonou, Katerina.

Roux, Sophie.

Series:

History of science and medicine library ; v. 19.

History of science and medicine library. Medieval and early modern science ; v. 15.

History of science and medicine library, 1872-0684 ; v. 19

Medieval and early modern science ; v. 15

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Thought experiments--History--Congresses.

Thought experiments.

Methodology--Congresses.

Methodology.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (243 p.)

Place of Publication:

Leiden ; Boston : Brill, 2011.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

During the last decades of the twentieth century highly imaginative thought experiments were introduced in philosophy: Searle’s Chinese room, variations on the Brain-in-a-vat, Thomson’s violinist. At the same time historians of philosophy and science claimed the title of thought experiment for almost any argument: Descartes’ evil genius, Buridan’s ass, Gyges’ ring. In the early 1990's a systematic debate began concerning the epistemological status of thought experiments. The essays in this volume are an outcome of this debate. They were guided by the idea that, since we cannot forge a strict definition of thought experiments, we should at least tame the contemporary wild usage of this notion by analysing thought experiments from various periods, and thus clarify how they work, what their limits are, and what their conceptualisation could be. Medieval and Early Modern Science , 15

Contents:

Preliminary Material / K. Ierodiakonou and S. Roux

Introduction: The Emergence Of The Notion Of Thought Experiments / S. Roux

Remarks On The History Of An Ancient Thought Experiment / K. Ierodiakonou

Thought Experiments In The De Anima Commentaries / P. Lautner

Thought Experiments In Late Medieval Debates On Atomism / C. Grellard

Thought Experiments And Indirect Proofs In Averroes, Aquinas, And Buridan / S. Knuuttila and T. Kukkonen

Galileo’s Use Of Medieval Thought Experiments / C.R. Palmerino

On Kant’s Critique Of Thought Experiments In Early Modern Philosophy / S. Virvidakis

Philosophical Thought Experiments: In Or Out Of The Armchair? / P. Engel

On The Very Idea Of A Thought Experiment / J.-Y. Goffi and S. Roux

Thought Experiments And Mental Simulations / J. Zeimbekis

Bibliography / K. Ierodiakonou and S. Roux

Index Nominum / K. Ierodiakonou and S. Roux.

Notes:

"This book is the distant outcome of a workshop on thought experiments that took place in Athens in April 2007"--Acknowledgements.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

1-283-16137-0

9786613161376

90-04-20177-7

OCLC:

743693758