Scientific Method: Its Philosophical Basis and Its Modes of Application

Front Cover
Blackie & son limited, 1924 - 456 pages
 

Contents

PHILOSOPHERS AND SOME OF THEIR PROBLEMS
24
its Logical Consequences
37
CHAP
42
THE SOPHISTS AND SOCRATES
51
PLATO
59
How far can we follow Platos Method?
69
BLACK
79
their Methods compared
84
CHAP Page IX BACON 1 Bacons Independence of Mind
92
General Notions
94
His Philosophical Works
95
Bacons Method a Collection of Facts
98
b Discovery of Forms
99
c The True Difference
100
d The Tables of Investigation
101
e The Process of Exclusion
102
Bacons Investigation into Heat
103
The Method a Failure in Practice
104
Bacons Errors and Oversights in Science
107
His Rejection of the Copernican Theory
108
Bacons Critics
110
Bacon and Aristotle
112
DESCARTES 1 Descartes dissatisfied with Existing Philosophic Systems
114
He considers a New Method of Procedure Necessary
115
His Organon is Doubt
117
Clear and Distinct Ideas
119
His Opinion of Logic
121
His Mathematics and Physics
122
His Theory of Vortices
123
Why the Method fails
124
The Cartesian Method and the Baconian Method
126
LOCKE 1 Characteristics of Locke
127
His Toleration
129
His Views on Education
130
Lockes Essay
131
The Ambiguities of Language
132
Locke the Founder of Modern Psychology
133
The Origin of our Ideas
134
Simple and Complex Ideas
135
Innate Ideas
137
Lockes Critics
139
THE FUNCTION OF LOGIC IN SCIENTIFIC METHOD
165
THE METHODOLOGISTS
175
СНАР Page XV INDUCTION 1 General Notions of Induction
178
The Guiding Principles of Bacon Newton and Herschel
180
Whewells Colligation of Facts and Explication of Conceptions
181
Mills Views of Induction
183
How Mill Differs from Whewell
184
Jevonss Views
187
Professor Weltons Views
188
No Hardandfast Rules universally applicable
189
The Ground of Induction
190
SOME GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF INVESTIGATION OBSERVATION AND EXPERIMENT 1 Preliminary Notions
191
Bain
193
Observation
194
Experiment
196
Experiment not always Possible
198
Experimental Researches 1 By Newton
199
2 By Faraday
200
4 By Franklin
201
5 By Davy
202
MILLS CANONS 1 The Basis of the Canons
203
The Method of Difference
205
The Joint Method
207
The Method of Residues
208
The Method of Concomitant Variations
209
Plurality of Causes
211
His Remarks on our Notions of Force
227
His Analysis of the Phenomenon of Sound
228
The Limits of such an Analysis
230
GENERALIZATION AND EMPIRICAL LAWS 1 The Meaning of Generalization
232
Generalizations Vary in Degree
233
Empirical Laws
234
The Joint Action of Causes
235
The Detection of Derivative Laws
237
The Meaning of Law
239
HYPOTHESES 1 What an Hypothesis is
240
The Varying Functions of Hypotheses
242
Vera Causæ
243
Conditions of a Good Hypothesis
244
Rival Hypotheses Experimentum Crucis
246
The Deciding Crucial Experiment
249
ANALOGY 1 General Notions
250
Points of Resemblance must be Weighed not Counted
252
Instances of Analogical Inference
254
Illegitimate Analogy
256
Hypotheses suggested by Analogy
257
PROBABILITY 1 General Notions
258
165
259
Quantitative Aspects of the Theory
260
Simple Mathematical Considerations
262
Experience and Theory Compared
264
Inverse Probability
265
Simple Rules of the Inverse Method
267
177
268
Coincidences which are Casual
269
Uncertainty almost Inevitable
270
Discordance between Theory and Direct Measurement
284
ERROR AND ITS CORRECTION 1 Exact Measurement is virtually Impossible
285
The Assumptions made by Science 3 Interfering Causes
286
Elimination of Error
287
The Method of Means
289
The Law of Error
292
How the Law has been Arrived
293
8 The Probable Error of Results 9 The Method of Least Squares 10 The Method of Curves
295
BOOK III
301
WHITE OF SELBORNE Some of his Observations
303
ALFRED RUSSEL WALLACE The Migration of Birds
305
Darwin The Sensitiveness of Worms to Light
308
LORD AVEBURY The Power of Communication amongst Ants
311
XXX HARVEY The Circulation of the Blood
314
WELLS
316
The Production of
317
Fixed Air in Lime and in Alkalis
321
Fixed Air
326
GAYLUSSAC The Combination of Gaseous Substances
329
DAVY
332
Is there Oxygen in Oxymuriatic Acid?
334
BOYLE The Ascent of Water in Siphons
337
NEWTON The Refrangibility of Light
342
FARADAY Electricity by Friction of Water and Steam against other Bodies
350
OTHER INVESTIGATORS AND WRITERS 1 Franklin
360
5 Lord Kelvin
361
8 Lord Rayleigh
362
78
363
303
364
311
365
6 An Example of Instructions to be avoided
379
SOLVING MATHEMATICAL PROBLEMS IN THE CLASSROOM
402
INTRODUCTION
415
Is POPES VERDICT ON BACON JUSTIFIED?
425
THE RELATIVITY OF SIMULTANEITY
438
A SUGGESTED SEQUENCE FOR A COURSE OF LECTURES
451

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