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Chasing Reality: Strife Over Realism
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Chasing Reality: Strife Over Realism Hardcover - 2006 - 1st Edition

by Mario Bunge


From the publisher

Chasing Reality deals with the controversies over the reality of the external world. Distinguished philosopher Mario Bunge offers an extended defense of realism, a critique of various forms of contemporary anti-realism, and a sketch of his own version of realism, namely hylorealism. Bunge examines the main varieties of antirealism - Berkeley's, Hume's, and Kant's; positivism, phenomenology, and constructivism - and argues that all of these in fact hinder scientific research. Bunge's realist contention is that genuine explanations in the sciences appeal to causal laws and mechanisms that are not directly observable, rather than simply to empirical generalizations. Genuine science, in his view, is objective even when it deals with subjective phenomena such as feelings of fear. This work defends a realist view of universals, kinds, possibilities, and dispositions, while rejecting contemporary accounts of these that are couched in terms of modal logic and 'possible worlds.'

First line

We deal with facts all the time, yet there is no consensus on the meaning of the very word 'fact,' particularly since in ordinary language it is often confused with either 'datum' or 'truth.'

Details

  • Title Chasing Reality: Strife Over Realism
  • Author Mario Bunge
  • Binding Hardcover
  • Edition number 1st
  • Edition 1
  • Pages 342
  • Volumes 1
  • Language ENG
  • Publisher University of Toronto Press
  • Date March 18, 2006
  • Illustrated Yes
  • ISBN 9780802090751 / 0802090753
  • Weight 1.53 lbs (0.69 kg)
  • Dimensions 9.3 x 6.36 x 1.12 in (23.62 x 16.15 x 2.84 cm)
  • Library of Congress subjects Realism, Realisme
  • Dewey Decimal Code 149.2