Table of Contents

Preface. Part I: REALISM Chapter 1: Explanation, Description and Scientific Realism Chapter 2: The Myth of Astronomical Instrumentalism Chapter 3: The Ultimate Argument for Scientific Realism Chapter 4: Wittgensteinian Instrumentalism Chapter 5: Realism Versus Constructive Empiricism Chapter 6: Realism and Idealisation Chapter 7: Unreal Assumptions in Economic Theory: The F-twist untwisted Chapter 8: NOA's Ark - Fine For Realism Chapter 9: Conceptual Idealism and Stove's Gem Chapter 10: The T-Scheme Plus Epistemic Truth Equals Idealism Part II: RATIONALISM Chapter 11: Falsification and its Critics Chapter 12: Logical versus Historical Theories of Confirmation Chapter 13: Facts and Values in Science Studies Chapter 14: Deductivism versus Psychologism Chapter 15: Deductive Heuristics Chapter 16: Critical Rationalism References Index of names

Reviews

The book's essays represent an important contribution to the contemporary philosophical debate concerning Realism and Rationalism. The author defends in a clear and consistent fashion a fallibilist, realistic, and rationalist position in opposition to the idealistic and relativistic viewpoint characteristic of present postmodern philosophy. - Hans Albert