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PREFACE
More in need of philosophy are the sciences where perplexities are greater.
— Carlo Rovelli, Codeveloper of loop quantum gravity
You are an unusual student. We’ d be surprised if 1% of STEM majors (or even most philosophy majors) take a course in the philosophy of science. And this is an unusual book in three ways which we hope will provide a readable college text.
First, most philosophy of science texts are written for philosophy majors. While this book will provide them with a solid foundation, our goal is to provide STEM majors with a relevant book. But why would they seek such a text?
Imagine that there is an opera singer who hits every note, but she has no understanding of the composition. Is she truly a musician or just a performer? In German, a Musiker has a deep understanding of music, while a Musikant merely plays music. Understanding the philosophy of science is necessary to become a scientifiker rather than a scientifikant (these terms don’t really exist but you get the idea).
Second, the coauthors are an odd couple. FPG is an immigrant and first-generation college student whose educational path led him to teach philosophy to hundreds of students. JAL was a faculty member in entomology for nearly 20 years before joining the philosophy department. As such, the authors have been there, with “there” being a classroom where you wonder if you belong and an academic setting where you are an outsider.
This text would’ve been easier to write alone,