Philosophy of Science

What is induction? John Stuart Mill (1874, p. 208) defined induction as the operation of discovering and proving general propositions. William Whewell (in Butts, 1989, p. 266) agrees with Mill’s definition as far as it goes. Is Whewell therefore assenting to the standard concept of induction, which talks of inferring a generalization of the form "All As are Bs" from the premise that "All observed As are Bs"? Does Whewell agree, to use Mill’s example, that inferring "All humans are mortal" from the premise that "John, Peter and Paul, etc., are mortal" is an example of induction? The surprising answer is "no". How can this be?

PART ONE: THE GENERAL STRUCTURE OF KANT'S SYSTEM
I. Introductory Guidelines for Interpretation
1. The Systematic Character of Kant's Philosophy
2. Models and Metaphors in Systematic Thinking
3. Kant's Preference for Geometrical Metaphors
4. The Scope of This Study

Hint: the speed and reliability of transmissions varies with the volume of traffic. Since many sites are located in the USA, it is a good idea to go surfing in the morning (British time) when the Americans are all asleep.
The following are distinguished only by having some connection with science, and having passed across my desk. I take no responsibility for their performance or contents.

The year 2000 marks the 600th anniversary of the birth of Johann Gutenberg, the inventor of letterpress printing. He has recently been named "Man of the Millenium", a title well-deserved.
To celebrate this anniversary, the State and University Library of Lower Saxony is presenting its priceless vellum Gutenberg Bible along with many other examples of European letterpress printing in an exhibition in the Pauliner Kirche (the church of the former Dominican monastery that until 1811 served as the University Chapel) between 23 June and 29 October, 2000. Prior to the opening of this exhibition the Bible, which was printed in 1454, is made available to a broad international public on the Internet and as a CD-ROM.

The following works have been taken from the two-volume set of Letters; Essays and Hymns of Synesius translated by A. Fitzgerald. They were published by Oxford University Press in 1926 and 1930.
Synesius was a close friend to Theophilus, Patriarch of Alexandria. Theophilus was the uncle and predecessor of St. Cyril of Alexandria. He was also a student under the Platonist, Hypatia of Alexandria, whom we know was recognized to have a great intellect and ability at philosophy.

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As Newt Gingrich has assured us, and as our own daily experience has convinced us, we in the industrial world are in the middle of a social and political revolution that is almost without parallel. Call it "third wave" capitalism, or "postmodern," or "multinational," or whatever; this transformation is, without anyone being prepared for it, overwhelming the communities and institutions and customs that once were the familiar stanchions of our lives. As Newsweek recently said, in a special issue that actually seemed to be celebrating it, this revolution is "outstripping our capacity to cope, antiquating our laws, transforming our mores, reshuffling our economy, reordering our priorities, redefining our workplaces, putting our Constitution to the fire, shifting our concept of reality."

No wonder there are some people who are Just Saying No.

Studies in History and Philosophy of Science is devoted to the integrated study of the history, philosophy and sociology of the sciences. The editors encourage contributions both in the long-established areas of the history of the sciences and the philosophy of the sciences and in the topical areas of historiography of the sciences, the sciences in relation to gender, culture and society and the sciences in relation to arts. The Journal is international in scope and content and publishes papers from a wide range of countries and cultural traditions

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