Introducing Philosophy of Science: A Graphic Guide

Description

Our world is inconceivable without science. Its discoveries benefit us - antibiotics, computers, space travel, gene-mapping - and reveal the secrets of human evolution, the cosmos and our place in it. Science also threatens us with the risks of nuclear holocaust, eugenics and the pollution of our ecosystem. How do we reconcile the advantages of science with its perils? What do scientists actually do? Is science 'value-free'? How has science evolved through history? Where is science leading us? Introducing Science explores these troubling questions, revealing how science itself and our approach to studying science has changed radically over the last few decades. Zia Sardar and Borin Van Loon trace the development of Philosophy of Science from the origins in the ideas of Thomas Kuhn, Karl Popper, Paul Feyerabend and others. Introducing Philosophy of Science is a clear and incisively illustrated anatomy of science. It is essential reading for students, ordinary citizens and scientists themselves.

Ziauddin Sardar is a prominent journalist and author. Prolific and polymathic, he is a regular contributor to the New Statesman and the Observer. He presented The Battle for Islam on BBC Two in September 2005. His most recent books are Desperately Seeking Paradise and Balti Britain (Granta).