Ebook: Mexican Studies in the History and Philosophy of Science

For a North American seeking to know the Mexican mind, and especially the sciences today and in their recent development, a great light of genius is to be found in Mexico City in the late 17th century. Tbe genius is that of one who surely may be counted as the first Mexican philosopher of nature, a nun of the Order of Saint Jerome: Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz. Sor Juana must speak for herself, from her penetrating exercise of an independent mind within a political and religious formation which denigrated women and circumscribed reason itself. To understand this world of ours, to join in an enlightenment which would be both natural and inspired, Sor Juana clearly understood the requirements of leaming, observing, logic and reasoning. In darkness foundering Words fail the troubled mind. For who, I ask, can light me When Reason is blind? Even now, after the great steps toward liberation of women, and the substantial scientific contributions toward sheer empirical awareness of both the multiple orders ofNature and the subtle aesthetics ofindividual art and social harmony, we too in the earthly world of the 20th century must affirm what she affirmed.

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Content:
Front Matter....Pages i-xii
Logic in Mexico....Pages 1-23
Contributions Of Santiago Ram?rez to the History of the Colegio De Miner?a ....Pages 23-28
Gabino Barreda and the Introduction of Darwinism in Mexico: Positivism and Evolution....Pages 29-48
Psychoanalysis and Marxism....Pages 49-57
Functional Explanations in History....Pages 59-70
The History of Science: Internal or External?....Pages 71-87
Genetic Mutation: The Development of the Concept and its Evolutionary Implications....Pages 89-107
Galileo’s Revolution: The Use of Idealizational Laws In Physics....Pages 109-128
Among Men, Closest to God....Pages 129-149
The Philosophy and the Programme of Hilbert....Pages 151-172
Some Logical Remarks Concerning the Continuum Problem....Pages 173-186
On the Relation of Hilbert’s Second and Tenth Problem....Pages 187-199
Three Metaphysical Theses on Mathematical Philosophy....Pages 201-211
The Principles of Mathematics of Bertrand Russell....Pages 213-234
Wittgenstein On Mathematical Proof....Pages 235-248
To Show and to Prove....Pages 249-264
A Return to Vienna....Pages 265-273
Back Matter....Pages 275-291

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Content:
Front Matter....Pages i-xii
Logic in Mexico....Pages 1-23
Contributions Of Santiago Ram?rez to the History of the Colegio De Miner?a ....Pages 23-28
Gabino Barreda and the Introduction of Darwinism in Mexico: Positivism and Evolution....Pages 29-48
Psychoanalysis and Marxism....Pages 49-57
Functional Explanations in History....Pages 59-70
The History of Science: Internal or External?....Pages 71-87
Genetic Mutation: The Development of the Concept and its Evolutionary Implications....Pages 89-107
Galileo’s Revolution: The Use of Idealizational Laws In Physics....Pages 109-128
Among Men, Closest to God....Pages 129-149
The Philosophy and the Programme of Hilbert....Pages 151-172
Some Logical Remarks Concerning the Continuum Problem....Pages 173-186
On the Relation of Hilbert’s Second and Tenth Problem....Pages 187-199
Three Metaphysical Theses on Mathematical Philosophy....Pages 201-211
The Principles of Mathematics of Bertrand Russell....Pages 213-234
Wittgenstein On Mathematical Proof....Pages 235-248
To Show and to Prove....Pages 249-264
A Return to Vienna....Pages 265-273
Back Matter....Pages 275-291
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