Pittsburgh Series in Philosophy and History of Science – serie

This study is a philosophical critique of the foundations of Sigmund Freud's psychoanalysis. As such, it also takes cognizance of his claim that psychoanalysis has the credentials of a natural science. It shows that the reasoning on which Freud rested the major hypotheses of his edifice was fundamentally flawed, even if the probity of the clinical observations he adduced were not in question. Moreover, far from deserving to be taken at face value, clinical data from the psychoanalytic treatment setting are themselves epistemically quite suspect.

In this title, Laudan constructs a fresh approach to a longtime problem for the philosopher of science: how to explain the simultaneous and widespread presence of both agreement and disagreement in science. Laudan critiques the logical empiricists and the post-positivists as he stresses the need for centrality and values and the interdependence of values, methods, and facts as prerequisites to solving the problems of consensus and dissent in science.

These provocative essays by leading philosophers of science exemplify and illuminate the contemporary uncertainty and excitement in the field. The papers are rich in new perspectives, and their far-reaching criticisms challenge arguments long prevalent in classic philosophical problems of induction, empiricism, and realism. By turns empirical or analytic, historical or programmatic, confessional or argumentative, the authors' arguments both describe and demonstrate the fact that philosophy of science is in a ferment more intense than at any time since the heyday of logical positivism early in the twentieth century.  Contents:  “Thoroughly Modern Meno,” Clark Glymour and Kevin Kelly“The Concept of Induction in the Light of the Interrogative Approach to Inquiry,” Jaakko Hintikka“Aristotelian Natures and Modern Experimental Method,” Nancy Cartwright“Genetic Inference: A Reconsideration of “David Hume's Empiricism,” Barbara D. Massey and Gerald J. Massey“Philosophy and the Exact Sciences: Logical Positivism as a Case Study,” Michael Friedman“Language and Interpretation: Philosophical Reflections and Empirical Inquiry,” Noam Chomsky“Constructivism, Realism, and Philosophical Method,” Richard Boyd“Do We Need a Hierarchical Model of Science?” Diderik Batens“Theories of Theories: A View from Cognitive Science,” Richard E. Grandy“Procedural Syntax for Theory Elements,” Joseph D. Sneed“Why Functionalism Didn't Work,” Hilary Putnam“Physicalism,” Hartry FieldThis title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1992.

Logic of Discovery and Diagnosis in Medicine provides an interdisciplinary exploration of the interplay between philosophy of science, artificial intelligence (AI), and clinical diagnostic processes. Stemming from a conference held at the University of Pittsburgh, this volume unites contributions from philosophers, physicians, and AI theorists to investigate the foundational and practical aspects of medical reasoning. The discussions center around "problem solving" and "heuristic search" as frameworks for understanding discovery and diagnosis in medicine. By integrating developments in AI, such as the INTERNIST-I program, and philosophical inquiries into logic and reasoning, the book aims to illuminate the complexities and evolving methodologies of medical diagnosis.Key highlights include Herbert Simon's application of AI-based problem-solving theories to clinical diagnosis, with an emphasis on heuristic methods that optimize decision-making in complex scenarios. The book also delves into the limitations of branching logic and Bayesian probability models, advocating for innovative approaches such as causal linkages and adaptive classification systems. Through critiques and discussions of diagnostic tools like INTERNIST-I and its successor, CADUCEUS, contributors explore the challenges of modeling human reasoning and integrating pathophysiological data into AI systems. Ultimately, this volume is both a theoretical and practical resource for advancing the integration of AI in medicine while reflecting on the broader implications for scientific discovery and diagnostic reasoning.This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1985.

These provocative essays by leading philosophers of science exemplify and illuminate the contemporary uncertainty and excitement in the field. The papers are rich in new perspectives, and their far-reaching criticisms challenge arguments long prevalent in classic philosophical problems of induction, empiricism, and realism. By turns empirical or analytic, historical or programmatic, confessional or argumentative, the authors' arguments both describe and demonstrate the fact that philosophy of science is in a ferment more intense than at any time since the heyday of logical positivism early in the twentieth century.  Contents:  “Thoroughly Modern Meno,” Clark Glymour and Kevin Kelly“The Concept of Induction in the Light of the Interrogative Approach to Inquiry,” Jaakko Hintikka“Aristotelian Natures and Modern Experimental Method,” Nancy Cartwright“Genetic Inference: A Reconsideration of “David Hume's Empiricism,” Barbara D. Massey and Gerald J. Massey“Philosophy and the Exact Sciences: Logical Positivism as a Case Study,” Michael Friedman“Language and Interpretation: Philosophical Reflections and Empirical Inquiry,” Noam Chomsky“Constructivism, Realism, and Philosophical Method,” Richard Boyd“Do We Need a Hierarchical Model of Science?” Diderik Batens“Theories of Theories: A View from Cognitive Science,” Richard E. Grandy“Procedural Syntax for Theory Elements,” Joseph D. Sneed“Why Functionalism Didn't Work,” Hilary Putnam“Physicalism,” Hartry FieldThis title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1992.