{"title":"James Robert Brown","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"smoke-and-mirrors-book-james-robert-brown-9780415091817","title":"Smoke and Mirrors","description":"Realism is an enlightening story, a tale which enriches our experience and makes it more intelligible. Yet this wonderful picture of humanity's best efforts at knowledge has been badly bruised by numerous critics. James Robert Brown in Smoke and Mirrors fights back against figures such as Richard Rorty, Bruno Latour, Michael Ruse and Hilary Putnam who have attacked realist accounts of science.  But this volume is not wholly devoted to combating Rorty and others who blow smoke in our eyes; the second half is concerned with arguing that there are some amazing ways in which science mirrors the world. The role of abstraction, abstract objects and a priori ways of getting at reality are all explored in showing how science reflects reality. Smoke and Mirrors is a defence of science and knowledge in general as well as a defence of a particular way of understanding science. It is of interest to all those who wish or need to know how science works.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49504242368785,"sku":"GOR004849503","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ LIKE_NEW \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49666224324881,"sku":"GOR013765581","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":50024233533713,"sku":"GOR013540910","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50828704710929,"sku":"CIN0415091810G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":52134313165073,"sku":"NLS9780415091817","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/0415091810.jpg?v=1750910836"},{"product_id":"who-rules-in-science-book-james-robert-brown-9780674013643","title":"Who Rules in Science?","description":"Brown chronicles engagements in the science warsfrom the Sokal affair to angry confrontations over the nature of evidence, the possibility of objectivity, and the methods of scienceto show how the contested terrain is science, but the prize is political: Whoever wins the science wars will have an unprecedented influence on our governance.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49511043694865,"sku":"GOR005400808","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":49896243429649,"sku":"CIN0674013646G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/0674013646.jpg?v=1750944639"},{"product_id":"philosophy-of-mathematics-book-james-robert-brown-9780415122757","title":"Philosophy of Mathematics","description":"Philosophy of Mathematics is an excellent introductory text for philsophy of mathematics. Clear and engaging, it moves at a good pace, is easy to understand an student friendly.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":49874926797073,"sku":"CIN0415122759G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49963328471313,"sku":"GOR002924385","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":53362831327505,"sku":"GOR014878570","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/0415122759.jpg?v=1751358783"},{"product_id":"laboratory-of-the-mind-book-james-robert-brown-9780415095792","title":"The Laboratory of the Mind","description":"Thought experiments are performed in the laboratory of the mind. Beyond this metaphor it is difficult to say just what these remarkable devices for investigating nature are or how they work. Though most scientists and philosophers would admit their great importance, there has been very little serious study of them. This volume is the first book-length investigation of thought experiments.  Starting with Galileo's argument on falling bodies, Brown describes numerous examples of the most influential thought experiments from the history of science. Following this introduction to the subject, some substantial and provocative claims are made, the principle being that some thought experiments should be understood in the same way that platonists understand mathematical activity: as an intellectual grasp of an independently existing abstract realm.  With its clarity of style and structure, The Laboratory of the Mind will find readers among all philosophers of science as well as scientists who have puzzled over how thought experiments work.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"US \/ WELL_READ \/ SBYB","offer_id":49917708894481,"sku":"CIN0415095794A","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ VERY_GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50205257531665,"sku":"CIN0415095794VG","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50762054861073,"sku":"CIN0415095794G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":52336737648913,"sku":"NLS9780415095792","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/0415095794.jpg?v=1751071825"},{"product_id":"philosophy-of-mathematics-book-james-robert-brown-9780415960472","title":"Philosophy of Mathematics","description":"In his long-awaited new edition of Philosophy of Mathematics, James Robert Brown tackles important new as well as enduring questions in the mathematical sciences. Can pictures go beyond being merely suggestive and actually prove anything? Are mathematical results certain? Are experiments of any real value?   This clear and engaging book takes a unique approach, encompassing non-standard topics such as the role of visual reasoning, the importance of notation, and the place of computers in mathematics, as well as traditional topics such as formalism, Platonism, and constructivism. The combination of topics and clarity of presentation make it suitable for beginners and experts alike. The revised and updated second edition of Philosophy of Mathematics contains more examples, suggestions for further reading, and expanded material on several topics including a novel approach to the continuum hypothesis.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50349368738065,"sku":"CIN0415960479G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":50706675466513,"sku":"GOR008156739","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":51002334150929,"sku":"NIN9780415960472","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":52522024370449,"sku":"NLS9780415960472","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/0415960479.jpg?v=1751071680"},{"product_id":"philosophy-of-science-the-key-thinkers-book-james-robert-brown-9781350108271","title":"Philosophy of Science: The Key Thinkers","description":"From the 19th century the philosophy of science has been shaped by a group of influential figures. Who were they? Why do they matter? This introduction brings to life the most influential thinkers in the philosophy of science, uncovering how the field has developed over the last 200 years.  Taking up the subject from the time when some philosophers began to think of themselves not just as philosophers but as philosophers of science, a team of leading contemporary philosophers explain, criticize and honour the giants. Now updated and revised throughout, the second edition includes:  ·       Easy-to-follow overviews of pivotal thinkers including John Stuart Mill, Rudolf Carnap, Thomas Kuhn, Karl Popper, and many more ·       Coverage of central issues such as experience and necessity, logical empiricism, falsifiability, paradigms, the sociology of science, realism, and feminist critiques ·       An afterword looking ahead to emerging research trends ·       Study questions and further reading lists at the end of each chapter  Philosophy of Science: The Key Thinkers demonstrates how the ideas and arguments of these figures laid the foundations of our understanding of modern science.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"- \/ - \/ -","offer_id":50697914908945,"sku":"","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ GARDNERS","offer_id":50697918939409,"sku":"NGR9781350108271","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":52536554422545,"sku":"NLS9781350108271","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1350108278.jpg?v=1751457543"},{"product_id":"laboratory-of-the-mind-book-james-robert-brown-9780415996525","title":"The Laboratory of the Mind","description":"Newton's bucket, Einstein's elevator, Schrödinger's cat – these are some of the best-known examples of thought experiments in the natural sciences. But what function do these experiments perform? Are they really experiments at all? Can they help us gain a greater understanding of the natural world? How is it possible that we can learn new things just by thinking?   In this revised and updated new edition of his classic text The Laboratory of the Mind, James Robert Brown continues to defend apriorism in the physical world. This edition features two new chapters, one on “counter thought experiments” and another on the development of inertial motion. With plenty of illustrations and updated coverage of the debate between Platonic rationalism and classic empiricism, this is a lively and engaging contribution to the field of philosophy of science.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"- \/ - \/ -","offer_id":51099093729553,"sku":"","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":51099095957777,"sku":"NIN9780415996525","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":52406615965969,"sku":"NLS9780415996525","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/B007YZTHWG.jpg?v=1750813852"},{"product_id":"on-foundations-of-seismology-bringing-idealizations-down-to-earth-book-james-robert-brown-9789814329491","title":"On Foundations Of Seismology: Bringing Idealizations Down To Earth","description":"This remarkable collaboration between a mathematical physicist and a science philosopher concerns foundational and conceptual issues in seismology. Their aim is to present mathematical, physical and philosophical topics in a clear and concise manner. They provide an extensive philosophical discussion of the methods of science and show how seismology fits in. They explain with care and precision the basic structure of seismology, which is built on classical continuum mechanics. Not only do they explain how various models work in seismology, they also include an extensive discussion of the nature of models and idealizations.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"- \/ - \/ -","offer_id":51272417771793,"sku":"","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":51272419311889,"sku":"NIN9789814329491","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":52480432996625,"sku":"NLS9789814329491","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/9814329495.jpg?v=1750776435"},{"product_id":"philosophy-of-mathematics-book-james-robert-brown-9780415960489","title":"Philosophy of Mathematics","description":"In his long-awaited new edition of Philosophy of Mathematics, James Robert Brown tackles important new as well as enduring questions in the mathematical sciences. Can pictures go beyond being merely suggestive and actually prove anything? Are mathematical results certain? Are experiments of any real value?   This clear and engaging book takes a unique approach, encompassing non-standard topics such as the role of visual reasoning, the importance of notation, and the place of computers in mathematics, as well as traditional topics such as formalism, Platonism, and constructivism. The combination of topics and clarity of presentation make it suitable for beginners and experts alike. The revised and updated second edition of Philosophy of Mathematics contains more examples, suggestions for further reading, and expanded material on several topics including a novel approach to the continuum hypothesis.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":52123912634641,"sku":"NLS9780415960489","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":52735356600593,"sku":"NIN9780415960489","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/9780415960489.jpg?v=1757454043"},{"product_id":"smoke-and-mirrors-book-james-robert-brown-9780415091800","title":"Smoke and Mirrors","description":"Realism is an enlightening story, a tale which enriches our experience and makes it more intelligible. Yet this wonderful picture of humanity's best efforts at knowledge has been badly bruised by numerous critics. James Robert Brown in Smoke and Mirrors fights back against figures such as Richard Rorty, Bruno Latour, Michael Ruse and Hilary Putnam who have attacked realist accounts of science.  But this volume is not wholly devoted to combating Rorty and others who blow smoke in our eyes; the second half is concerned with arguing that there are some amazing ways in which science mirrors the world. The role of abstraction, abstract objects and a priori ways of getting at reality are all explored in showing how science reflects reality. Smoke and Mirrors is a defence of science and knowledge in general as well as a defence of a particular way of understanding science. It is of interest to all those who wish or need to know how science works.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":52146899386641,"sku":"NLS9780415091800","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/9780415091800.jpg?v=1757598757"},{"product_id":"platonism-naturalism-and-mathematical-knowledge-book-james-robert-brown-9780415872669","title":"Platonism, Naturalism, and Mathematical Knowledge","description":"This study addresses a central theme in current philosophy: Platonism vs Naturalism and provides accounts of both approaches to mathematics, crucially discussing Quine, Maddy, Kitcher, Lakoff, Colyvan, and many others. Beginning with accounts of both approaches, Brown defends Platonism by arguing that only a Platonistic approach can account for concept acquisition in a number of special cases in the sciences. He also argues for a particular view of applied mathematics, a view that supports Platonism against Naturalist alternatives. Not only does this engaging book present the Platonist-Naturalist debate over mathematics in a comprehensive fashion, but it also sheds considerable light on non-mathematical aspects of a dispute that is central to contemporary philosophy.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":52403794837777,"sku":"NLS9780415872669","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":53108452262161,"sku":"NIN9780415872669","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/9780415872669.jpg?v=1758762184"},{"product_id":"platonism-naturalism-and-mathematical-knowledge-book-james-robert-brown-9781138809772","title":"Platonism, Naturalism, and Mathematical Knowledge","description":"This study addresses a central theme in current philosophy: Platonism vs Naturalism and provides accounts of both approaches to mathematics, crucially discussing Quine, Maddy, Kitcher, Lakoff, Colyvan, and many others. Beginning with accounts of both approaches, Brown defends Platonism by arguing that only a Platonistic approach can account for concept acquisition in a number of special cases in the sciences. He also argues for a particular view of applied mathematics, a view that supports Platonism against Naturalist alternatives. Not only does this engaging book present the Platonist-Naturalist debate over mathematics in a comprehensive fashion, but it also sheds considerable light on non-mathematical aspects of a dispute that is central to contemporary philosophy.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"- \/ - \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":52489010905361,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":52489012150545,"sku":"NLS9781138809772","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/9781138809772.jpg?v=1759878037"},{"product_id":"laboratory-of-the-mind-book-james-robert-brown-9780415996532","title":"The Laboratory of the Mind","description":"Newton's bucket, Einstein's elevator, Schrodinger's cat - these are some of the best-known examples of thought experiments in the natural sciences. But what function do these experiments perform? Are they really experiments at all? This title intends to defend apriorism in the physical world.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":52522064871697,"sku":"NLS9780415996532","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":53081648529681,"sku":"NIN9780415996532","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/9780415996532.jpg?v=1760574724"},{"product_id":"philosophy-of-science-the-key-thinkers-book-james-robert-brown-9781441128812","title":"Philosophy of Science: The Key Thinkers","description":"As a discipline, the philosophy of science is as old as philosophy itself. Philosophy of Science: The Key Thinkers offers a comprehensive historical overview of this fascinating field. Twelve specially commissioned essays introduce and explore the contributions of those philosophers who have shaped the subject and the central issues and arguments therein. All the great philosophers from Plato and Aristotle to the present day have been philosophers of science. However, this book concentrates on modern philosophy of science, starting in the nineteenth century and offering coverage of all the leading thinkers in the field including Whewell, Mill, Reichenbach, Carnap, Popper, Feyerabend, Putnam, van Fraassen, Bloor, Latour, Hacking, Cartwright and many more. Crucially the book demonstrates how the ideas and arguments of these key thinkers have contributed to our understanding of such central issues as experience and necessity, conventionalism, logical empiricism, induction and falsification, the sociology of science, and realism. Ideal for undergraduate students, the book lays the necessary foundations for a complete and thorough understanding of this fascinating subject.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":52595671892241,"sku":"NLS9781441128812","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/9781441128812.jpg?v=1761071491"},{"product_id":"philosophy-of-science-the-key-thinkers-book-james-robert-brown-9781441142009","title":"Philosophy of Science: The Key Thinkers","description":"All the great philosophers from Plato and Aristotle to the present day have been philosophers of science. However, this book concentrates on modern philosophy of science, starting in the nineteenth century and offering coverage of all the leading thinkers in the field including Whewell, Mill, Reichenbach, Carnap, Popper, Feyerabend, Putnam, van Fraassen, Bloor, Latour, Hacking, Cartwright and many more. Crucially the book demonstrates how the ideas and arguments of these key thinkers have contributed to our understanding of such central issues as experience and necessity, conventionalism, logical empiricism, induction and falsification, the sociology of science, and realism. Ideal for undergraduate students, the book lays the necessary foundations for a complete and thorough understanding of this fascinating subject.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":52680571093265,"sku":"NLS9781441142009","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":53118051516689,"sku":"GOR005500956","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/9781441142009.jpg?v=1762313454"}],"url":"https:\/\/www.worldofbooks.com\/en-ie\/collections\/author-books-by-james-robert-brown.oembed","provider":"World of Books ","version":"1.0","type":"link"}