The Structure of Scientific Revolutions (Foundations of the Unity of Science, Vol. 2, No. 2)

Kuhn, Thomas S.

ISBN 10: 0226458032 / ISBN 13: 9780226458038

Published by University of Chicago Press, 1974

About this Item

A concise philosophical examination of Galileo Galilei?s scientific thought and its importance in the development of modern science. Dudley Shapere considers Galileo?s intellectual background, the early development of his ideas, the principle of inertia, and the relationship between reason and experience in his scientific method. The volume includes notes, a bibliography, and an index.

Rather than presenting a conventional biography, Shapere concentrates on the philosophical foundations of Galileo?s work and on the reasoning that supported his scientific conclusions. The book remains a recognized contribution to the history and philosophy of science and continues to appear in scholarly bibliographies concerning Galileo and the Scientific Revolution.

Condition: Very Good hardcover in a Good original dust jacket. The binding appears square and firm. Interior pages are clean and lightly age-toned; no ownership inscriptions, underlining, or annotations are visible in the photographed pages. Dust jacket shows moderate rubbing and shelf wear, scattered surface scuffs and pale marks, edge and corner wear, and several short tears and small chips along the upper edge and spine ends. Jacket spine is lightly toned, with additional wear near the foot. An attractive, complete first-edition copy despite the jacket wear.

First edition of a specialized study by an influential American philosopher of science. Particularly suitable for collections devoted to Galileo, astronomy, early modern science, the Scientific Revolution, scientific methodology, and the philosophy and history of physics.

Ships carefully packed in protective materials. USPS Media Mail is the standard domestic shipping method unless another service is requested. Returns accepted in accordance with AbeBooks? 30-day return policy.
SCI 2a.

Seller Inventory # ABE-1785524987158

Bibliographic Details

• Title: The Structure of Scientific Revolutions (Foundations of the Unity of Science, Vol. 2, No. 2)
• Publisher: University of Chicago Press
• Publication Date: 1974
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0226458032
• ISBN 13: 9780226458038
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition: 1st Edition
• Condition: Very Good
• Dust Jacket Condition: Good
• Dimensions: 6.25W x 9.25H x 0.75D inches 6.25 inches width by 9.25 inches height by 0.75 inches depth
• Weight: 0.996 pounds
• Seller catalogs:
  • History of Science
  • Science
  • Astronomy
  • Philosophy

About this title

Synopsis

The Structure of Scientific Revolutions is a landmark in intellectual history which has attracted attention far beyond its own immediate field. It is written with a combination of depth and clarity that make it an almost unbroken series of aphorisms. Its author, Thomas S. Kuhn, wastes little time on demolishing the logical empiricist view of science as an objective progression toward the truth. Instead he erects from ground up a structure in which science is seen to be heavily influenced by nonrational procedures, and in which new theories are viewed as being more complex than those they usurp but not as standing any closer to the truth. Science is not the steady, cumulative acquisition of knowledge that is portrayed in the textbooks. Rather, it is a series of peaceful interludes punctuated by intellectually violent revolutions . . . in each of which one conceptual world view is replaced by another.

Review

Since the publication of this book in 1962, Kuhn's writings (and many of his ideas, such as "paradigm shift") have been highly influential in academic and popular discourse. This book is must-reading for anyone studying the history and philosophy of science specifically, or cultural or technological change generally.