Peter Kosso

Why and how does science "work"? It's important for scientists in training and those who would rely on the work of scientists to understand the process of generating knowledge and its philosophical basis. How do inductive and deductive reasoning differ? What role does internal consistency play in gaining confidence in a theory, and how do you determine the value of evidence in supporting claims? This book answers those questions in the simplest of terms. One need not become a well-read epistemologist to get a basic grounding in this area, and it robs many potential students to grant them only intricate expositions on the matter. Although not quite "for dummies," this text presents only the simplest descriptions necessary for the practicing scientist and leaves advanced speculation for the philosophers. This isn't the most authoritative work, but it admirably achieves its purpose.… (meer)