The Laboratory of the Mind: Thought Experiments in the Natural Sciences

The Laboratory of the Mind: Thought Experiments in the Natural Sciences
ISBN-10
1136943773
ISBN-13
9781136943775
Series
The Laboratory of the Mind
Category
Philosophy
Pages
240
Language
English
Published
2011-04-06
Publisher
Routledge
Author
James Robert Brown

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.

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