Thomas Bonk - Böcker

This collection, with essays by Graham H. Bird, Jaakko Hintikka, Ilkka Niiniluoto, Jan Wolenski, should interest graduate students of the philosophy of language and logic, as well as professional philosophers, historians of analytic philosophy, and philosophically inclined logicians. The text brings together 11 essays that offer a wealth of insights on a number of Carnap's concerns and ideas. The volume arose out of a symposium on Carnap's work at an international conference held in Vienna in 2001. The essays are written from a variety of perspectives: some essays aim at rebutting influential criticisms directed at Carnap's views; others examine and assess his thought in the light of recent developments in the neurosciences; still others are historical and describe the development of Carnap's thought; but they all shed light on the relation of this thought and different philosophical traditions. These essays form a collection that should prove a valuable resource for our understanding of the historic Carnap and the living philosophical issues with which he grappled.

This timely book offers a wide-ranging study of the thesis that scientific theories are systematically "underdetermined" by the data they account for. After analyzing the epistemological and ontological aspects of the topic in detail, and reviewing pertinent logical facts and selected scientific cases, the author carefully examines the merits of arguments for and against the thesis. Along the way, he investigates methodological proposals and recent theories of confirmation.

This collection originated at a conference organized by the Institute Vienna Circle and the University of Vienna on the Vienna Circle and Logical Empiricism and was held in Vienna in July 2001. (cf. The Vienna Orcle and Logical Empiricism. Re-evaluation and Future Perspectives. Edited by Frie­ drich Stadler. Dordrecht-Boston-London: Kluwer, 2003, Vienna Circle Institute Yearbook 10). All the essays in this volume with one exception are based on talks presented on that occasion and appear here for the first time. The contributions address a broad range of issues in the philosophy of Rudolf Carnap, but two themes stand out. Many authors respond directly or indirectly to objections against various aspects of Carnap's work: the pro gram of Der Logische Aufbau der Welt, his views on ontology and realism, and his explication of disposition predicates. w. v. Quine's shadow looms large. Rising to the challenge, these authors constructively modify Carnapian ideas or explore alternatives withoutabandoning key tenets of his empiri­ cism. As our understanding of Carnap's work in its historical context has become more nuanced and detailed over the past decade, the room for dis agreement over its interpretation has grown. Several of the papers aim to put the record straight with respect to such works as Logische Syntax der Sprache, Der Logische Aufbau der Welt, and Der Raum. This collection then attests to the continuing and growing attraction of Carnap's philosophy.