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Full-Text Articles in Philosophy of Science
Evolution And The Second Law Of Thermodynamics: Effectively Communicating To Non-Technicians, Alexander Schreiber, Steven Gimbel
Evolution And The Second Law Of Thermodynamics: Effectively Communicating To Non-Technicians, Alexander Schreiber, Steven Gimbel
Philosophy Faculty Publications
Given the degree of disbelief in the theory of evolution by the wider public, scientists need to develop a collection of clear explanations and metaphors that demonstrate the working of the theory and the flaws in antievolutionist arguments. This paper presents tools of this sort for countering the anti-evolutionist claim that evolutionary mechanisms are inconsistent with the second law of thermodynamics. Images are provided to replace the traditional misunderstanding of the law, i.e., “everything always gets more disordered over time,” with a more clear sense of the way in which entropy tends to increase allowing a thermally isolated system access …
“Theoric Transformations” And A New Classification Of Abductive Inferences, Michael H.G. Hoffmann
“Theoric Transformations” And A New Classification Of Abductive Inferences, Michael H.G. Hoffmann
Michael H.G. Hoffmann
Based on a definition of “abductive insight” and a critical discussion of G. Schurz’s (2008) distinction of eleven “patterns of abduction” that he organizes in four groups, I suggest an even more comprehensive classification that distinguishes 15 forms in an alternative structure. These forms are organized, on the one hand, with regard to what is abductively inferred—singular facts; types; laws; theoretical models; or representation systems—and, on the other, with regard to the question whether the abductive procedure is selective or creative (including a distinction between “psychologically creative,” as in school learning, or “historically creative”). Moreover, I argue that theoretical-model abduction—which …
Lam Map Of Nagel's Core Argument In "The Problem Of Global Justice" (2005), Michael H.G. Hoffmann
Lam Map Of Nagel's Core Argument In "The Problem Of Global Justice" (2005), Michael H.G. Hoffmann
Michael H.G. Hoffmann
This map is also available online: http://tinyurl.com/23vweqm
Lam Map Of Thomas Nagel (2005), The Problem Of Global Justice, Michael H.G. Hoffmann
Lam Map Of Thomas Nagel (2005), The Problem Of Global Justice, Michael H.G. Hoffmann
Michael H.G. Hoffmann
This map is also available online: http://tinyurl.com/22o9q9q
The Debate About The Stern-Review And The Economics Of Climate Change, Michael H.G. Hoffmann
The Debate About The Stern-Review And The Economics Of Climate Change, Michael H.G. Hoffmann
Michael H.G. Hoffmann
This map is -- in a different form, with linked sub-maps -- also available online: http://tinyurl.com/y9jlsxv