000 03347nam a22005055i 4500
001 978-94-007-3932-1
003 DE-He213
005 20140220083344.0
007 cr nn 008mamaa
008 120522s2012 ne | s |||| 0|eng d
020 _a9789400739321
_9978-94-007-3932-1
024 7 _a10.1007/978-94-007-3932-1
_2doi
050 4 _aD1-DX301
072 7 _aPDX
_2bicssc
072 7 _aSCI034000
_2bisacsh
082 0 4 _a509
_223
100 1 _aChang, Hasok.
_eauthor.
245 1 0 _aIs Water H2O?
_h[electronic resource] :
_bEvidence, Realism and Pluralism /
_cby Hasok Chang.
264 1 _aDordrecht :
_bSpringer Netherlands :
_bImprint: Springer,
_c2012.
300 _aXXI, 316 p. 45 illus.
_bonline resource.
336 _atext
_btxt
_2rdacontent
337 _acomputer
_bc
_2rdamedia
338 _aonline resource
_bcr
_2rdacarrier
347 _atext file
_bPDF
_2rda
490 1 _aBoston Studies in the Philosophy and History of Science,
_x0068-0346 ;
_v293
505 0 _aIntroduction -- Water and the Chemical Revolution.- Piles of Confusion: the Mixed Blessing of Electrolysis.- HO or H2O?.-Evidence in Action (or, The Contextuality of Evidence) -- Pluralism in Practice.- Realism in a Free Society -- Epilogue: Complementary Science Continued.
520 _aThis book exhibits deep philosophical quandaries and intricacies of the historical development of science lying behind a simple and fundamental item of common sense in modern science, namely the composition of water as H2O. Three main phases of development are critically re-examined, covering the historical period from the 1760s to the 1860s: the Chemical Revolution (through which water first became recognized as a compound, not an element), early electrochemistry (by which water’s compound nature was confirmed), and early atomic chemistry (in which water started out as HO and became H2O). In each case, the author concludes that the empirical evidence available at the time was not decisive in settling the central debates, and therefore the consensus that was reached was unjustified, or at least premature. This leads to a significant re-examination of the realism question in the philosophy of science, and a unique new advocacy for pluralism in science. Each chapter contains three layers, allowing readers to follow various parts of the book at their chosen level of depth and detail. The second major study in "complementary science", this book offers a rare combination of philosophy, history and science in a bid to improve scientific knowledge through history and philosophy of science.
650 0 _aScience
_xHistory.
650 0 _aChemistry.
650 0 _aScience
_xPhilosophy.
650 0 _aScience
_xStudy and teaching.
650 1 4 _aScience, general.
650 2 4 _aHistory of Science.
650 2 4 _aPhilosophy of Science.
650 2 4 _aChemistry/Food Science, general.
650 2 4 _aHistory and Philosophical Foundations of Physics.
650 2 4 _aScience Education.
710 2 _aSpringerLink (Online service)
773 0 _tSpringer eBooks
776 0 8 _iPrinted edition:
_z9789400739314
830 0 _aBoston Studies in the Philosophy and History of Science,
_x0068-0346 ;
_v293
856 4 0 _uhttp://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-3932-1
912 _aZDB-2-SHU
999 _c104669
_d104669