The Routledge Companion to Thought Experiments by Stuart, Michael T; Fehige, Yiftach; Brown, James Robert;

Short description:

Thought experiments lie at the very heart of the study of philosophy, from the pre-Socratics to the modern era. They play an important role in many other subjects including physics, economics, psychology and cognitive science. The Routledge Companion to Thought Experiments is an outstanding reference source to this multi-faceted subject.

Long description:

Thought experiments are a means of imaginative reasoning that lie at the heart of philosophy, from the pre-Socratics to the modern era, and they also play central roles in a range of fields, from physics to politics. The Routledge Companion to Thought Experiments is an invaluable guide and reference source to this multifaceted subject. Comprising over 30 chapters by a team of international contributors, the Companion covers the following important areas:

· the history of thought experiments, from antiquity to the trolley problem and quantum non-locality;

· thought experiments in the humanities, arts, and sciences, including ethics, physics, theology, biology, mathematics, economics, and politics;

· theories about the nature of thought experiments;

· new discussions concerning the impact of experimental philosophy, cross-cultural comparison studies, metaphilosophy, computer simulations, idealization, dialectics, cognitive science, the artistic nature of thought experiments, and metaphysical issues.

This broad ranging Companion goes backwards through history and sideways across disciplines. It also engages with philosophical perspectives from empiricism, rationalism, naturalism, skepticism, pluralism, contextualism, and neo-Kantianism to phenomenology. This volume will be valuable for anyone studying the methods of philosophy or any discipline that employs thought experiments, as well as anyone interested in the power and limits of the mind.

"The Routledge Companion to Thought Experiments is a valuable resource for anyone interested in thought experiments. It contains discussions of the identity and nature of thought experiments, their roles in different disciplines, the ways they figure in reasoning and representation, and their contributions to understanding."

Catherine Z. Elgin, Harvard University, USA

 "This companion is a faithful reflection of contemporary discussions over thought experiments, which are more rich and complex than can be indicated in this short review."

Carla Rita Palmerino, Metascience, 2019

"The Routledge Companion to Thought Experiments is an extensive reference work for the lover of thought experiments. Scientists, philosophers and historians get their money's worth due to the multitude of perspectives included in the collection."

James Robert Brown, The Reading Club of Everything, 2020

Table of Contents:

Contents

1. Thought Experiments: State of the Art – Michael T. Stuart, Yiftach Fehige and James Robert Brown










Part One: Selected History of Thought Experiments












2. The Triple Life of Ancient Thought Experiments – Katerina Ierodiakonou











3. Thought Experiments in Plato – Alexander Becker











4. Aristotle and Thought Experiments – Klaus Corcilius











5. Experimental Thoughts on Thought Experiments in Medieval Islam – Jon McGinnis











6. Galileo's Thought Experiments: Projective Participation and the Integration of Paradoxes – Paolo Palmieri











7. Thought Experiments in Newton and Leibniz – Richard T. W. Arthur











8. Kant, Hegel and Wittgenstein: Thought Experiments, Epistemology and Our Cognitive (In)Capacities – Kenneth R. Westphal










Part Two: Thought Experiments and their Fields












9. Thought Experiments in Political Philosophy – Nenad Miščević











10. Thought Experiments in Economics – Margaret Schabas











11. Theology and Thought Experiments – Yiftach Fehige











12. Thought Experiments in Ethics – George Brun











13. Happiest Thoughts: Great Thought Experiments of Modern Physics – Kent A. Peacock











14. Thought Experiments in Biology – Guillaume Schlaepfer and Marcel Weber











15. Thought Experiments in Mathematics – Irina Starikova and Marcus Giaquinto










Part Three: Contemporary Philosophical Approaches to Thought Experiments












16. The Argument View: Are Thought Experiments Mere Picturesque Arguments? – Elke Brendel











17. Platonism and the A Priori in Thought Experiments – Thomas Grundmann











18. Cognitive Science, Mental Modeling, and Thought Experiments – Nancy J. Nersessian











19. Kantian Accounts of Thought Experiments – Marco Buzzoni











20. Phenomenology and Thought Experiments: Thought Experiments as Anticipation Pumps – Harald A. Wiltsche










Part Four: Issues, Challenges and Interactions












21. Intuition and Its Critics – Stephen Stich and Kevin Tobia











22. Thought Experiments and Experimental Philosophy – Kirk Ludwig











23. Thought Experiments in Current Metaphilosophical Debates – Daniel Cohnitz and Sören Häggqvist











24. Historicism and Cross-Culture Comparison – James W. McAllister











25. A Dialectical Account of Thought Experiments – Jean-Yves Goffi and Sophie Roux











26. The Worst Thought Experiment – John D. Norton











27. Thought Experiments and Idealizations – Julian Reiss











28. Thought Experiments and Simulation Experiments: Exploring Hypothetical Worlds – Johannes Lenhard











29. Images and Imagination in Thought Experiments – Letitia Meynell More