Anjan Chakravartty traces the contemporary evolution of realism by examining the most promising strategies adopted by its proponents in response to the forceful challenges of antirealist sceptics. His book offers a compelling vision of how realism can provide an internally consistent and coherent account of scientific knowledge.
Contents
Part I. Scientific Realism Today: 1. Realism and antirealism, metaphysics and empiricism; 2. Selective scepticism: entity realism, structural realism, semirealism; 3. Properties, particulars and concrete structures; Part II. Metaphysical Foundations: 4. Causal realism and causal processes; 5. Dispositions, property identity and laws of nature; 6. Sociability: natural and scientific kinds; Part III. Theory Meets World: 7. Representing and describing: theories and models; 8. Approximate truths about approximate truth.
Reviews
“The level of ambition is high, and in my opinion Chakravartty achieves what he aims at….Regardless of whether one is ultimately persuaded by the arguments presented in this book, it is a must-buy for anyone who is serious about the realist/anti-realist debate, as well as for anyone interested in the issue of the metaphysics of science.”
Jacob Busch, University of St Andrews, The Philosophical Quarterly
“Chakravartty embraces parts of entity realism and structural realism, but this is only the beginning. The justification for his semirealism includes a big dose of metaphysics, namely his accounts of causation and of natural kinds, among other things. Much of the book is given over to very detailed discussion of these issues. In a short review, I cannot hope to do justice to the full richness of Chakravartty’s subtle and highly original treatment of these matters. Let me close with a simple recommendation to any who want to read the last word on scientific realism – this is it.”
James Robert Brown, Department of Philosophy, University of Toronto, History and Philosophy of the Life Sciences
“Chakravartty is clear and engaging in his writing, and charitable and judicious in his arguments with other philosophers. His book is essential reading for those interested in scientific realism or the metaphysics of science.”
James Ladyman, University of Bristol, Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews
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