The Epistemological Foundations of Natural Philosophy

G. J. Whitrow

doi:10.1017/S0031819100005143

The Epistemological Foundations of Natural Philosophy

Published online by Cambridge University Press: 25 February 2009

G. J. Whitrow

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The history of Natural Philosophy is dominated by a paradox; broadly speaking, a vast increase in its range of application to the external world has been accompanied by a sweeping simplification in its basic assumptions. From the standpoint of Empiricism this dual development appears utterly mysterious. On the other hand, Rationalism, which seeks to demonstrate the metaphysical necessity of natural law, and hence might throw light on this development, has been generally discredited, particularly by men of science. It is not surprising, therefore, that philosophical discussion of scientific method has become a Babel of confusing tongues.

Type: Articles
Information: Philosophy , Volume 21 , Issue 78 , April 1946 , pp. 5 - 28

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0031819100005143 [Opens in a new window]
Copyright: Copyright © The Royal Institute of Philosophy 1946

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References

^{page 5 note 1} Campbell, Norman: Physics: the Elements (1920), p. 21Google Scholar.

^{page 5 note 2} Ibid., p. 39.

^{page 6 note 1} C. S. Peirce, The Architecture of Theories.

^{page 6 note 2} Cassirer, E., Substance and Function (1923), p. 7Google Scholar.

^{page 8 note 1} Ramsey, F. P., The Foundations of Mathematics (1931), p. 72Google Scholar.

^{page 8 note 2} Nicod, J., Foundations of Geometry and Induction (1930), p. 93Google Scholar.

^{page 9 note 1} E. Cassirer, op. cit., p. 107.

^{page 9 note 2} Weinberg, J. R., An Examination of Logical Positivism (1936), p. 116Google Scholar.

^{page 10 note 1} Whitehead, A. N., “Mathematics,” Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th editionGoogle Scholar.

^{page 12 note 1} Poincaré, H., The Foundations of Science (1929), p. 124Google Scholar.

^{page 14 note 1} Maxwell, Clerk, Matter and Motion (1925), p. 29Google Scholar.

^{page 17 note 1} Meyerson, E., Identity and Reality (1930), p. 219Google Scholar.

^{page 17 note 2} Ibid., p. 230.

^{page 17 note 3} Ibid., p. 284.

^{page 17 note 4} Ibid., p. 148.

^{page 19 note 1} Russell, B., A Critical Exposition of the Philosophy of Leibniz (1900). §79Google Scholar.

^{page 21 note 1} Duncker, K., Mind, XLVIII (1939), p. 50Google Scholar.

^{page 24 note 1} Painlevé, P., Les Axiomes de la Meconique (1922), p. 11Google Scholar.

^{page 26 note 1} Hertz, H., The Principles of Mechanics (1899), p. 8Google Scholar.

^{page 26 note 2} Ibid., p. 23.

^{page 26 note 3} Wittgenstein, L., Tractatus Logico-Philosopicus (1922), 6, 342Google Scholar.

^{page 27 note 1} Ayer, A. J., The Foundations of Empirical Knowledge (1940), p. 205Google Scholar.

^{page 27 note 2} Born, M., Experiment and Theory in Physics (1943), p. 44Google Scholar.

^{page 28 note 1} Whewell, W., The Philosophy of the Inductive Sciences (1840), p. 28Google Scholar.

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