Brazilian Studies in Philosophy and History of Science (eBook)

Preface 5
I History of Science 6
II Philosophy of Science 7
III Foundations of Science 8
Contents 9
Contributors 11
1 Introduction 14
1.1 A First Reflexion 14
1.2 A Short Account on the History of the Philosophy and Sciences in Brazil 17
1.3 The Pioneer Generation in Philosophy of Knowledge and Philosophy and History of Science 24
1.4 Conceptual History of Science and Historical Epistemology 37
1.5 The Concern for the Social Dimension of History of Science and Epistemology 47
1.6 Philosophy of the Specific Sciences and Methodological Questions 51
1.7 General Problems of Philosophy of Science 56
1.8 Foundational, Formal and Logical Approaches 60
References 64
2 Galileo and Modern Science 70
2.1 Galileo and the Scientific Revolution of the 17th Century 70
2.2 Active Attitude and Scientific Instruments 71
2.3 The Alliance Between Science Technical Practices 72
2.4 Mathematization of Nature and Mechanization of the World 75
2.5 Autonomy of Science and Universality of Scientific Method 78
2.6 Conclusion 81
References 82
3 Newton and Inverse Problems 83
3.1 Introduction 83
3.2 Inverse Problems in Mathematics 83
3.3 Inverse Problems in Optics 84
3.4 Inverse Problems in Mechanics 85
3.5 Inverse Problems in Philosophy 87
3.6 Conclusion 88
References 88
4 Isaac Newton, Robert Hooke and the Mystery of the Orbit 89
4.1 Introduction 89
4.2 Hookes Method 95
4.3 The Concept of Force in the Principia 96
4.4 The conatus recedendi centro 98
4.4.1 1664--1665 98
4.4.2 1669 100
4.5 The Problem Proposed by Newton to Hooke 100
4.5.1 The Spiral (November 28, 1679) 101
4.5.2 The Mysterious Orbit (December 13, 1679) 102
4.6 What Numerical Integration of Differential Equations Has to Say on the Mysterious Curve 103
4.7 Some Considerations 104
4.7.1 Reflection Around the Symmetry Axis 104
4.7.2 So What? 104
References 105
5 Sciences in Brazil: An Overview from 18701920 107
5.1 Introduction 107
5.2 Professional Scientists 108
5.3 Science Conquers the Territory 110
5.4 Science Conquers the Public 112
5.5 Science and Health Control in the Cities 113
5.6 Final Remarks 115
References 116
6 Henri Becquerel and Radioactivity: A Critical Revision 118
6.1 Introduction 118
6.2 Properties of the Radiation 119
6.3 Persistence of Emission of the Invisible Radiations 121
6.4 Other Anomalous Properties of Becquerels Rays 121
6.5 Correction of Becquerels Mistakes 123
6.6 Becquerels Strategy 124
6.6.1 Spontaneity of Radiation 125
6.6.2 Constancy (in Time) of Emission 125
6.7 Conclusion 126
References 127
7 Regeneration as a Difficulty for the Theory of Natural Selection: Morganx2019 s Changing Attitudes, 1897x2013
7.1 Introduction 129
7.2 Weismanns Arguments Concerning Regeneration 131
7.3 Morgans Early Researches on Regeneration 132
7.4 Regeneration (1901) 133
7.5 Morgans Evolution and Adaptation (1903) 135
7.6 Morgans Later View on Evolution 136
7.7 Final Remarks 137
References 138
8 Jean Antoine Nollet's Contributions to the Institutionalization of Physics During the 18th Century 140
8.1 Introduction 140
8.2 Restricting the Scope of Physics 140
8.3 Jean-Antoine Nollet: A Short Biography 142
8.4 Nollet and Experimental Physics 144
8.5 Nollet, a Cartesian or Newtonian 146
References 148
9 Natural Kinds as Scientific Models 150
9.1 Kinds and Individuals 151
9.2 Events and Individuals 154
9.3 Kinds as Models 155
9.4 Concluding Remarks 157
References 158
10 On the Nature of Mathematical Knowledge 160
References 169
11 The Etiological Approach to the Concept of Biological Function 170
References 177
12 Human Evolution: Compatibilist Approaches 179
12.1 Commonsense and the Human Predicament 179
12.2 Two Kinds of Facts 180
12.3 Coordination as a Philosophical Task 181
12.4 The Internal Integrative Project 182
12.5 The External Integrative Project 183
12.6 Nativist and Non-nativist Scenarios 184
12.7 Is Folk Psychology an Adequate Framework for Describing (Nonhuman) Minds 185
12.8 Dual Inheritance Theory 187
References 190
13 Functional Explanations in Biology, Ecology, and Earth System Science: Contributions from Philosophy of Biology 192
13.1 Introduction 192
13.2 Wrights Etiological Approach 192
13.3 Neo-Teleology: The Selectionist Etiological Approaches on Trial 194
13.4 Why Cummins Cannot Rule Out Neo-Teleology from Biology or Its Philosophy 196
13.5 Cummins Functional Analysis 198
13.6 Cummins Functional Analysis Applied to a Biogeochemical System 200
13.7 Concluding Remarks: A Dualism of Functional Approaches in Biology 203
References 205
14 On Darwin, Knowledge and Mirroring 207
References 215
15 Freudian Psychoanalysis as a Model for Overcoming theINTtie Duality Between Natural and Human Sciences
15.1 Introduction 216
15.2 Epistemological Dualism 217
15.3 Freud and the Unity of Science 219
15.4 Preliminary Guidelines for an Integral Naturalism 224
References 226
16 The Causal Strength of Scientific Advances 227
16.1 Units of Scientific Knowledge: Advances 227
16.2 Probabilistic Causal Relations Between Advances 228
16.3 The Representation of Causal Connections 229
16.4 Causal Strength of an Advance 231
16.5 The Representation of Causal Strengths 232
16.6 Outlook 234
References 235
17 Contextualizing the Contexts of Discovery and Justification: How to do Science Studies in Brazil 236
17.1 Introduction 236
17.2 Science as the Light for the World 237
17.3 Humanizing Science to Strength It 239
17.4 Peaceful Times 242
17.5 Conclusion 244
References 245
18 Echoes from the Past: The Persisting Shadow of Classical Determinism in Contemporary Health Sciences 247
18.1 Science and Determinism 248
18.2 The Currency of Ludwik Flecks Contributions 250
18.3 An Epistemology of/in Process 251
18.4 Commonsense About Science 254
18.5 Consequences of the Common Sense View Genocentrism 255
References 257
19 The Metaphysics of Non-individuality 259
19.1 Individuals 259
19.2 Non-individuals 264
19.3 A Proposal 266
References 268
20 Einstein, Gdel, and the Mathematics of Time 270
20.1 Introduction 270
20.1.1 The Meaning of ''Generic'' in This Paper 271
20.1.2 Preliminary Concepts and Results 271
20.1.3 Spacetimes with Cosmic Time 272
20.1.4 The ZFC Set of All Spacetimes 273
20.2 Exoticisms 273
20.2.1 A Very Brief Introduction to Smooth Exotic 4--Manifolds 273
20.3 Conjectures, Speculations, More Counterintuitive Results 275
20.3.1 Set Theory with Martin's Axiom 276
20.3.2 Category and Measure 276
20.3.3 Results About the Nongenericity of Global Time 276
20.3.4 Martin's Axiom Again 277
20.4 Can We Decide Whether an Arbitrary Spacetime Has a Global Time Coordinate? 277
20.5 Conclusion 278
References 279
21 A Contemporary View of Population Genetics in Evolution 281
21.1 Introduction 281
21.2 The Synthetic Theory of Evolution 281
21.3 Reconstruction of the Evolutionary Past 284
21.4 Molecular Biology and Its Impact on Population Genetics 285
21.5 Integration of Population Genetics and Phylogenetics 287
21.6 Concluding Remarks 288
References 289
22 Continuity and Change: Charting David Bohms Evolving Ideas on Quantum Mechanics 291
22.1 Introduction An early version of this paper was read at the 6th meeting of the Associao de Histria e Filosofia da Cincia do Cone Sul [AFHIC], Montevideo, May 2008. 291
22.2 Shifting to a Causal Quantum Mechanics 292
22.3 Implicate and Explicate Order 294
22.4 Returning to the Quantum Potential 296
22.5 Bohms Legacy 297
References 298
23 Quasi-truth and Quantum Mechanics 300
23.1 Introduction 300
23.2 Quantum Mechanics and Some Interpretations 300
23.3 Quasi-truth and Partial Structures 304
23.4 A Framework for Interpretations of Quantum Mechanics 307
23.5 Conclusion 310
References 311
24 The Qualitative Analysis of Differential EquationsINTbreak and the Development of Dynamical Systems Theory
24.1 Trajectories Defined by Solutions of Differential Equations 313
24.1.1 The Definition of a Dynamical System 315
24.1.2 The Question of Stability 316
24.2 The General Study of Dynamical Systems: Structural Stability and Genericity 318
References 321
25 The Problem of Adequacy of Mathematics to Physics: The Relativity Theory Case 324
25.1 Introduction 324
25.2 Interactions Between Physics and Mathematics 325
25.3 Relativity Theory: Mathematical Foundations and Physical Interpretation 327
25.4 The Adequacy of Mathematics to Physics: Concepts, Laws and Principles 335
References 338
Name Index 340
Subject Index 346