Poincaré, Philosopher of Science

"This new volume, part of 'The Western Ontario Series in Philosophy of Science,' is a collection of ten papers on the contributions of Poincare (1854-1912) to the foundation of mathematics and science. ... These papers provide an excellent window into that formative period and Poincare's interaction with and influence on other intellectual contemporaries. They also provide an intellectual and philosophical context for his contributions to modern science. Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates, graduate students, and researchers/faculty." (R. L. Pour, Choice, Vol. 52 (5), January, 2015) "The text under review is a three-part collection of papers. These papers clearly illustrate the breadth and depth of Poincare's intellectual activities. ... each of the papers offers a number of interesting and speculative considerations regarding Poincare's thought. ... the book is well worth consulting for anyone interested in some aspects of the latest research and analysis of the thought of Henri Poincare." (Richard Feist, Metascience, Vol. 24, 2015)

• Preface.- Introduction; Robert DiSalle and María de Paz.- Part I Poincaré’s Philosophy of Science.- 1 Portrait of Henri Poincaré as a young philosopher: the formative years (1860-1873); Laurent Rollet.- 2 The Invention of Convention; Janet Folina.- 3 The third way epistemology: A re-characterization of Poincaré’s conventionalism; María de Paz.- 4 Poincaré, Indifferent Hypotheses and Metaphysics; Antonio Videira.- Part II Poincaré on the Foundations of Mathematics.- 5 Poincaré in Göttingen; Reinhard Kahle.- 6 Poincaré on the Principles of the Calculus; Augusto J. Franco de Oliveira.- 7 Does the French Connection (Poincaré, Lautman) provide some insights regarding the thesis that meta-mathematics is an exception to the slogan that mathematics concerns structures?; Gerhard Heinzmann.- Part III Poincaré on the Foundations of Physics.- 8 Henri Poincaré: The status of mechanical explanations and the foundations of statistical mechanics; João Príncipe.- 9 Poincaré: A scientist inspired byhis philosophy; Isabella Serra.- 10 Poincaré on the construction of space-time; Robert DiSalle.- Contributors.- Index.