Joseph Agassi Knihy

Focusing on engaging writing, this revised edition offers insights on how to steer clear of dull reading and writing, while also enriching the history of science. It includes responses to previous reviews and features several new chapters, making it a valuable resource for anyone looking to enhance their literary skills and appreciation for scientific narratives.

Focusing on the scientific revolution, the book delves into the role of amateur scientists and their societies in shaping modern science. It examines their ideologies, social structures, and contributions, highlighting how these grassroots movements fostered significant advancements and transformed science into a prestigious institution. Through this lens, the narrative reveals the importance of collaboration and community in the evolution of scientific thought.

This book analyzes the critiques of Karl Popper's philosophy by Thomas Kuhn, Paul Feyerabend, and Imre Lakatos, who challenge his rejection of traditional inductive science. It explores their objections, highlights their significance, and contrasts their views with Popper's emphasis on objective knowledge over belief.

Exploring the challenges of modern life, this book delves into fundamental philosophical questions about what constitutes a good life. It examines the criteria for a satisfactory existence and the ultimate goals individuals should pursue. Through practical inquiries, it encourages readers to reflect on their own values and aspirations in the context of contemporary society.

In this collection of essays, Agassi explores the complexities of science through a sociological lens, addressing the internal and external influences on scientific knowledge. He critiques the relationship between science and society, highlighting the tension between autonomy and legitimation, while examining the moral implications of scientific devotion.

This book collects 13 papers that explore Wittgenstein's philosophy throughout the different stages of his career. The author writes from the viewpoint of critical rationalism. The tone of his analysis is friendly and appreciative yet critical. Of these papers, seven are on the background to the philosophy of Wittgenstein. Five papers examine different aspects of it: one on the philosophy of young Wittgenstein, one on his transitional period, and the final three on the philosophy of mature Wittgenstein, chiefly his Philosophical Investigations. The last of these papers, which serves as the concluding chapter, concerns the analytical school of philosophy that grew chiefly under its influence. Wittgenstein’s posthumous Philosophical Investigations ignores formal languages while retaining the view of metaphysics as meaningless -- declaring that all languages are metaphysics-free. It was very popular in the middle of the twentieth century. Now it is passé. Wittgenstein hadhoped to dissolve all philosophical disputes, yet he generated a new kind of dispute. His claim to have improved the philosophy of life is awkward just because he prevented philosophical discussion from the ability to achieve that: he cut the branch on which he was sitting. This, according to the author, is the most serious critique of Wittgenstein.