The Nature of Scientific Knowledge: An Explanatory Approach

Preface.- The Importance of Understanding the Nature of Scientific Knowledge.- Part I: General Features of Knowledge.- The Traditional Account of Knowledge.- Belief.- Truth.- Justification.- Evidence.- Basing a Belief on the Evidence.- A Problem for the Traditional Account of Knowledge.- Part II: Knowledge of Scientific Claims.- Explanation and Understanding.- From Explanation to Knowledge.- Part III: Challenges to Scientific Knowledge.- Skepticism about the External World.- Skepticism about Induction.- Empirical Evidence of Irrationality.- Anti-Realism about Science.- Part IV: Social Dimensions of Scientific Knowledge.- Gaining Scientific Knowledge from Others.- Knowledge in a Scientific Community.- Looking Back and Looking Forward.- Notes.- References.- Index.