Philosophy of pseudoscience : reconsidering the demarcation problem /

If the philosophical problem of demarcating science from pseudoscience has a stale reputation, this book is a revitalizing gust of fresh air. Philosophers Pigliucci (CUNY) and Boudry (Ghent Univ., Belgium) assemble 23 essays that challenge Larry Laudan's famous 1983 proclamation of the demarcation problem's demise. Renewed attention to the philosophical questions that pseudoscience raises mirrors an uptick in interest in pseudoscience among historians, as exemplified by Michael Gordin's The Pseudoscience Wars (CH, Feb'13, 50-3229). Complementing such work, these essays bring focused attention to the practice and historical development of science. Therein lies this book's strength. Although the contributions to this volume revolve around a single, well-defined problem, they provide a superb introduction to foundational questions that every philosophy student should confront. What are the essential features of science? What responsibility does philosophy have to be socially relevant? How should philosophers respond to developments at scientific frontiers? Distinguished and emerging scholars hailing from eight countries confront these questions through accessibly written pieces that are intellectually adventurous, appropriate for all academic audiences, and accessible to interested general readers. Summing Up: Essential. All academic and large public library collections. J. D. Martin University of Minnesota