Philosophy of Science

This guide describes the scientific and technological manuscript collections in the Special Collections Department of the University Libraries at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, or Virginia Tech. The department contains approximately 4500 cubic feet of manuscript material (the personal papers of individuals and families, and the records of businesses and organizations) spanning the years from the fifteenth century to the present, with the greatest concentration of material in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

The Philosophy of Science Association aims to further studies and free discussion from diverse standpoints in the field of philosophy of science. To this end, the PSA engages in activities such as: the publishing of periodicals, essays and monographs in this field; sponsoring conventions and meetings; and the awarding of prizes for distinguished work in the field.

You may find it useful to contact us if you are interested in:
History of the Academy of Sciences, history of education in Russia, organization of science in Russia, Russian-German scientific links;
History and theory of evolutionary ideas, history of plants physiology, sea biology, zoology, genetics and ecology;
General problems of history and philosophy of technical sciences, history of European engineering schools, russian-french technical links;
Investigation of scientific potential of St. Petersburg, sociological problems of young scientists;
History of exploration of Central Asia, cultural links “Russia – East”;
History of philosophical ideas in Russia, Russian-British cultural links.

Heraclitus of Ephesus (fl. 500-480 BC), also known as "the Riddler" and "the Obscure," was the eldest son of a leading aristocratic family. He was a loner with a general distaste for mobs. Consequently, he had no pupils, though a small book that he wrote had a rich tradition of its own and attracted many followers; the Stoics recognized it as the source of their doctrines. All that survives of this book is a series of quotations that scholars have been able to extract from other sources -- see the Fragments of Heraclitus -- and that reveal an enigmatic and oracular style, perhaps adopted by Heraclitus to protect its true contents from commoners. Owing to its obscurity, the book engendered many anecdotes about its author, most of them intending to malign him, and so it is difficult to know much about his life and character that is reliable. It is equally difficult to discern the details of his true thought.

The Fragments of Empedocles

From John Burnet, Early Greek Philosophy. 2nd Ed. London: Adam and Charles Black, 1908, 238-261.

The Fragments of Parmenides

From John Burnet, Early Greek Philosophy. 2nd Ed. London: Adam and Charles Black, 1908, 196-203.

The Fragments of Anaxagoras

From John Burnet, Early Greek Philosophy. 2nd Ed. London: Adam and Charles Black, 1908, 299-302.

The Fragments of Heraclitus

From John Burnet, Early Greek Philosophy. 2nd Ed. London: Adam and Charles Black, 1908, 146-156.

This is the website of the Principia Cybernetica Project (PCP), an international organization. The Project aims to develop a complete philosophy or "world-view", based on the principles of evolutionary cybernetics, and supported by collaborative computer technologies. To get started, there is an introduction with background and motivation, and an overview, summarizing the project as a whole.

Aitchison, Leslie. A History of Metals. 2 vols. London, 1960.
Arano, Luisa Cogliati. The Medieval Health Handbook, Tacuinum sanitatis. Translated by Oscar Ratti and Adele Westbrook. New York, 1976.
Ascherl, Rosemary. "The Technology of Chivalry in Reality and Romances." In The study of Chivalry: Resources and Approaches, edited by Howell Chickering and Thomas Seiler, 263-311. Kalamazoo, Michigan, 1988.