Scots Philosophical Association

University of St. Andrews

Review: Philosophy of Science

Author(s): Neil Cooper
Review by: Neil Cooper
Source: The Philosophical Quarterly, Vol. 18, No. 70 (Jan., 1968), p. 76
Published by: Oxford University Press on behalf of the Scots Philosophical Association and the
University of St. Andrews
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/2218040
Accessed: 18-03-2015 22:08 UTC

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76 ANALYTICAL REVIEW

good. Norman Kretzmann's History of Semantics (48 pages long) is a notable contri-
bution to scholarship, equivalent to a small book. Most of the biographical articles are
competent summaries; perhaps of these Michael Dummett's Frege and Norman Mal-
colm's Wittgenstein deserve special mention as interpretations that may become classical.
Out of many able non-historical articles, A. N. Prior's Correspondence Theory of Truth
and Anthony Kenny's Criterion are particularly penetrating, and P. L. Heath's Nothing
particularly good fun.
B. C. O'NEILL

PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE

The main article in this field, Arthur C. Danto's Problems in the Philosophy of Science,
is ably written and very fair-minded, but is rather short for a survey of so large a field.
This is to some extent compensated for by the large number of articles devoted to
particular problems and aspects of the Philosophy of Science, among which the following
are particularly worthy of attention: Carl G. Hempel's and Frederic Schick's on
Confirmation; Mary Hesse's Laws and Theories, Models and Analogy, Action at a
Distance and Simplicity; R. Harre's History of the Philosophy of Science; Adolph Grun-
baum's Philosophical Significance of Relativity Theory; Norwood Russell Hanson's
Philosophical Implications of Quantum Mechanics; Max Jammer's Energy, Force, Mass
and Motion; Stephen E. Toulmin's Matter; J. J. C. Smart's Space and Time; Brian
Ellis's Measurement; Jaegwon Kim's Explanation in Science; Peter Caws's Scientific
Method; and Dudley Shapere's Newtonian Mechanics and Mechanical Explanation.
Max Black's Probability and Induction are masterly surveys, in which the author
modestly sets out the objections to his own, as well as to other philosophers' views.
Unfortunately neither these two articles nor those on Confirmation are mentioned in
the Index under ' Philosophy of Science '.
There are numerous articles on scientists of interest to philosophers, and also special
articles on the individual sciences, such as Milton K. Munitz's Cosmology. Psycho-
logy is especially well catered for both in a 26-page historical article by C. A. Mace
and R. S. Peters and in numerous shorter entries, Charles Taylor's Psychological
Behaviorism being of particular interest.
The contributions on the Philosophy of Science are for the most part of the highest
quality. It is therefore unfortunate that some of the articles have been so severely
restricted in size. Economies could have been more justifiably made in the number and
size of the entries on minor thinkers of marginal philosophical interest.
NEIL COOPER

MORAL PHILOSOPHY

There are two long articles, History of Ethics by Raziel Abelsen and Kai Nielsen,
and Problems of Ethics by Nielsen, together with over 150 shorter articles on individual
moral philosophers, doctrines, and issues. They vary considerably in quality, and also
in the demands they make on their readers. Among the really good articles, A. Phillips
Griffiths' Ultimate Moral Principles, outlining an approach to their transcendental
justification, merits specialists' attention; Alasdair Maclntyre's stimulating Egoism
and Altruism should be ideal for students; and Antony Flew's Ends and Means is
excellent Everyman's-philosophy. R. B. Brandt's Happiness, Patrick H. Nowell-
Smith's Religion and Morality, and J. J. C. Smart's Utilitarianism are all, in their
different ways, worthwhile. Also noteworthy in the area of freewill and the psychology
of moral action are Arnold S. Kaufman's Responsibility, Stanley I. Benn's Punishment,
Richard Taylor's Determinism, Bruce Aune's Can, Andrew Oldenquist's Choosing,
Deciding, and Doing, and William P. Alston's Motives and Motivation. Otherwise, the
articles on topics tend to be less helpful than those on moral philosophers, which are
often very good indeed, e.g., H. B. Acton's Bradley, Donald G. MacNabb's Hume,
W. H. Walsh's Kant, Gilbert Ryle's Plato, and J. J. C. Smart's Sidgwick.
In general, the Encyclopedia is something less than successful in presenting a balanced,
synoptic, and constructive view of the main issues and schools in traditional and con-
temporary ethics. The metaethics/normative ethics distinction is heavily employed;
yet in Problems of Ethics, where it is principally discussed, it is scarcely subjected to
standard criticism. Nielsen appears to espouse both an a priori and an a posteriori
account of metaethical rules, without resolving this paradox (3, pp. 118-9). And when
Ethical Subjectivism is labelled a metaethical thesis (3, p. 125), and Emotivism too (by
Brandt, 2, p. 493), not one doubting Thomas receives a hearing.
Similarly, though Nielsen makes " practicality " one of the four formal requirements

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