Astronomy And Philosophy: Conceptual And Methodological Foundations And Challenges

Philosophical problems fundamentally infuse the theory and practice of astronomy. Bringing together fifteen historians, eleven philosophers, and four pioneering scientists, this volume provides a rigorous yet largely accessible examination of the conceptual and methodological challenges that lie at the intersection of philosophy and astronomy – broadly construed to include astrophysics, cosmology, space science, and astrobiology. Drawing largely on interdisciplinary advances from the past two centuries, the book's chapters tackle metaphysical inquiries into the fundamental nature of reality, the limits of reasoning, the problematic nature of observation and inference, the role of technology, and the epistemology of concepts such as space, time, life, and intelligence. Discussions are anchored to fascinating theories and examples from the 'canals' of Mars to exoplanets, black holes, dark matter, and the multiverse. Written primarily for practicing scientists, this volume will also serve historians and philosophers of science, as well as the curious general reader.

Steven J. Dick is an astronomer and historian of science. He was NASA's Chief Historian and Director of the NASA History Office until 2009. He has also served as an astronomer and historian at the US Naval Observatory, and as the Baruch S. Blumberg NASA/Library of Congress Chair in Astrobiology. He is the author or editor of twenty-five books, including most recently Astrobiology, Discovery, and Societal Impact (Cambridge University Press, 2018), which won the 2019 PROSE award for Cosmology and Astronomy from the Association of American Publishers. He is the recipient of numerous awards and societal fellowships. Minor planet 6544 was named 'Stevendick' in his honour by the International Astronomical Union.