Fundamentals of the Philosophy of Science

Science influences our lives in many ways - understanding the foundations, methods and limitations of science is therefore an important part of all higher education. This book offers different perspectives on science and its approaches. It provides, in an accessible way, a realistic picture of science and research within the behavioural sciences, using psychology as the primary example. The book covers the behavioural sciences; fundamental philosophical approaches and concepts in science; schools of thought such as positivism, pragmatism, phenomenology, hermeneutics, social constructivism, gender and feminist research, and postcolonialism; the relationship between validity and the philosophy of science; and science studies, that is, research on researchers and the research community.

In this fourth edition, the text has been updated and made more reader-friendly. Furthermore, the sections on generalisation, the value of academic freedom, open science, recent trends in scientific publishing, and the social and cultural aspects of science have been expanded. The book is suitable for use at undergraduate level in behavioural science subjects such as psychology, education, sociology, healthcare science and parts of business administration. It also serves as an introduction to understanding what science is in many other disciplines and contexts.