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Aristotle on Inquiry

Erotetic Frameworks and Domain-Specific Norms

James G Lennox author

Format:Hardback

Publisher:Cambridge University Press

Published:20th May '21

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Aristotle on Inquiry cover

Argues that, for Aristotle, scientific inquiry is governed both by a domain-neutral erotetic framework and by domain-specific norms.

Examines how Aristotle's philosophical reflections on scientific knowledge impact his actual scientific inquiries, arguing that he believes in a general, question-guided framework applicable to all scientific inquiries and domain-specific norms reflecting differences in the target of inquiry and in the means of observation available to researchers.Aristotle is a rarity in the history of philosophy and science - he is a towering figure in the history of both disciplines. Moreover, he devoted a great deal of philosophical attention to the nature of scientific knowledge. How then do his philosophical reflections on scientific knowledge impact his actual scientific inquiries? In this book James Lennox sets out to answer this question. He argues that Aristotle has a richly normative view of scientific inquiry, and that those norms are of two kinds: a general, question-guided framework applicable to all scientific inquiries, and domain-specific norms reflecting differences in the target of inquiry and in the means of observation available to researchers. To see these norms of inquiry in action, the second half of this book examines Aristotle's investigations of animals, the soul, material compounds, the motions of heavenly bodies, and respiration.

'Aristotle's methodology of discovery is as full of genius and sophistication as his extraordinary discoveries themselves. No one interested should miss this major study by a leading expert.' Sarah Broadie, Bishop Wardlaw Professor of Philosophy, University of St Andrews

ISBN: 9780521193979

Dimensions: 150mm x 230mm x 20mm

Weight: 630g

348 pages