Abstract

The book is a translation of the second edition of a much-used and research-based Chinese textbook. As a succinct and issue-based introduction to the Western philosophy of science, the book brings eight focal issues in the field to the fore and offers a helpful addition to the topics by incorporating Chinese perspectives on these issues. Followed by an overview of the historical framework and logical underpinnings of philosophy of science, the book thoroughly discusses eight issues in the discipline: (1) the criteria of cognitive meaning, (2) induction and confirmation, (3) scientific explanation, (4) theories of scientific growth, (5) demarcation between science and pseudoscience, (6) scientific realism and empiricism; (7) philosophy of scientific experimentation, (8) science and value. Not confined to Western mainstream discourse in this field, the book also introduces voices of Chinese philosophers of note and adopts a stance productively combining logical empiricism and Kuhnianism, both of which are underrated by a host of English textbooks. In the final chapter the author offers a prognosis regarding the future of the discipline based on recent trends. This book will be valued by students who study philosophy of science and hope to gain a better understanding of science and technology.