Ebook: Philosophy and Conceptual History of Science in Taiwan

Scholarly studies of mathematics and the sciences, carried out by philos­ ophers and historians in Taiwan in recent years, have two main goals: first, positive and critical participation in the logical analysis of scientific theories and scientific explanation; and second, conceptual clarification joined with faithful historical investigation of the sciences of traditional and modem China. In this book, Professors Cheng-hung Lin and Daiwie Fu have gathered fine representative essays from both endeavors. Their two introductory discussions guide the reader in three ways. First, we have insightful remarks concerning the development of science studies in Taiwan during the past three decades. Then we see the place of such studies, particularly those in the logic and methodology of science, in the philosophy of science as that discipline has evolved in the West in recent years. Finally we have an account of the changes that have occurred among philosophers and historians of Chinese science as they have turned away from an assump­ tion of Western definitions of scientific achievement, a tum that is common to Taiwanese, Chinese, Japanese and Western scholars.

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This is a collection of papers on philosophy of science, conceptual history of science, and sociology of science written by Taiwanese scholars. It is perhaps one of the best, written by Taiwanese, in all Chinese-speaking societies. Some works in it show Orientals study topics that are typically Western philosophy of science. Others show how traditional topics in the history of Chinese science (mathematics, optics, and geology) could be studied with high sensitivity to the philosophy and sociology of science. It also touches upon issues of the `autonomous' development of social sciences in Taiwan, a society whose academic researches are greatly influenced by the West. This collection will prove stimulating and valuable to general and scholarly readers alike who are interested in philosophy and history of science, especially as related to East Asia and the West.
The book will interest scholars in philosophy of science, philosophy of language and psychology, studies of philosophy of science in the third world, history of Chinese science, history of science in East Asia, and history of mathematics.