Philosophy and the many faces of science /

This small volume consists of 20 papers and four responses deriving from the 1992 (Athens) Second International Fellows Conference in the philosophy of science, organized by the University of Pittsburgh and host universities. The diversity of themes and the introduction reflect the current pluralistic condition of the field: "Realism, empiricism, and constructivism . . . formed the background against which philosophy of science found itself obliged to navigate." Though the editors identify a "turn to the particular sciences" and a "retreat to epistemology" as the main themes of the new generation, historicism, theory of mind, and even a touch of hermeneutics broaden the range of this survey. This "mature diversity" of the field has led undergraduate studies to turn to surveys, such as those of Curd and Cover or Boyd, Gaspar, and Trout. This volume does not substitute for such introductions, as most of these works-in-progress are addressed to their technical audience, but some could certainly augment studies in philosophy of science. A few articles should also interest teachers of the history of the subject, particularly comments on Peirce, Frege and Reichenbach. Recommended for those libraries in support of programs in the philosophy of science. Undergraduates through faculty. P. D. Skiff; Bard College