Dictionary of Concepts in the Philosophy of Science

?This new dictionary is a summary of approximately one hundred basic controversies covering all the subfields in contemporary philosophy of science.' It is oriented to upper-level undergraduates and graduate students who are beginning study in the philosophy of science, and is designed as a supplement to a textbook or introductory survey of the field. Each of the two--to four-- page articles begins with a brief definition of the term delineating the variety of usages, followed by an essay describing the history of the term and examining the contemporary points of view on the issue. The articles conclude with a substantial list of references and sources of additional information. The bibliographic lists are probably the most valuable aspect of this carefully done work. Great care has been taken to make the bibliographies both historically representative and genuinely helpful helpful to beginning students.' The Sources of additional information' section is a one-paragraph bibliographic essay which leads the reader to basic materials in the field with special attention given to important articles in the major encyclopedias. All works referred to in these lists are in English. The definitions and articles themselves are quite useful descriptions of the terms. While working in a field that is normally laden with jargon, the author has made a good effort at avoiding unexplained technical terms. Good cross-references are provided throughout this work.?-College & Research Libraries