Synthesized answer
The publication is titled "Science and Hypothesis" and is authored by Henri Poincaré [5]. The volume itself is described as a critique of the nature and place of hypothesis in science, and a study of the logical relations of theory and fact, ultimately justifying the scientific utility of theoretical construction [1]. It aims to answer the question of why science needs general theories that are subject to change [2].
The book includes an introduction by Professor Josiah Royce of Harvard University [4, 5]. Royce explains that he is undertaking this task at the request of the translator and Professor Cattell, aiming to bring the importance and scope of Poincaré's volume to the attention of fellow students [4]. The publication also includes an Author's Preface to the Translation and an Introduction by Poincaré himself [5]. The table of contents indicates that the work is divided into parts, with Part I containing sections such as "The Mind Dispelling Optical Illusions," "Euclid not Necessary," "Without Hypotheses, no Science," and "What Outcome?" [3, 5]. The copyright for the publication is held by The Science Press, with printing by The New Era Printing Company, and it was…
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From the book
o be sure, the compact and manifold teachings which this text contains relate to a great many different special issues. A student interested in the problems of the philosophy of mathematics, or in the theory of probabilities, or in the nature and office of mathematical physics, or in still other problems belonging to the wide field here discussed, may find what he wants here and there in the text, even in case the general issues which give the volume its unity mean little to him, or even if he differs from the author's views regarding the principal issues of the book. But in the main,…
then, does science actually need general theories, despite the fact that these theories inevitably alter and pass away? What is the service of a philosophy of science, when it is certain that the philosophy of science which is best suited to the needs of one generation must be superseded by the advancing insight of the next generation? Why must that which endlessly grows, namely, man's knowledge of the phenomenal order of nature, be constantly united in men's minds with that which is certain to decay, namely, the theoretical formulation of special knowledge in more or less completely…
201 The Mind Dispelling Optical Illusions 202 Euclid not Necessary 202 Without Hypotheses, no Science 203 What Outcome? 203 Introduction 205 PART I.
electrons. Mechanics must then give place to a broader conception which will explain it, but which it will not explain. So it was in vain the attempt was made in England to construct the ether by material models, or in France to apply to it the laws of dynamic. The ether it is, the unknown, which explains matter, the known; matter is incapable of explaining the ether. POINCARÉ. INTRODUCTION BY PROFESSOR JOSIAH ROYCE HARVARD UNIVERSITY The treatise of a master needs no commendation through the words of a mere learner. But, since my friend and former fellow student,…
ARÉ, AND AN INTRODUCTION BY JOSIAH ROYCE, HARVARD UNIVERSITY THE SCIENCE PRESS NEW YORK AND GARRISON, N. Y. 1913 Copyright, 1913 BY THE SCIENCE PRESS PRESS OF THE NEW ERA PRINTING COMPANY LANCASTER, PA. CONTENTS PAGE Henri Poincaré ix Author's Preface to the Translation 3 SCIENCE AND HYPOTHESIS Introduction by Royce 9 Introduction …
More questions about this book
- The text lists multiple distinct publications under "THE SCIENCE PRESS." How do these varied titles (journals like "SCIENCE," "THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY," and this book series) collectively reflect the stated mission of "scientific research and educational progress"?
- Why might J. McKeen Cattell have chosen Henri Poincaré's work, "The Foundations of Science," as *Volume I* for a series dedicated to promoting "scientific research and educational progress" in 1913? What does this choice signify?
- Based solely on the titles of Poincaré's works included ("Science and Hypothesis," "The Value of Science," "Science and Method") and the initial chapter headings, how would you articulate the fundamental philosophical questions Poincaré is likely addressing in this volume?
- Given the publication date of 1913, what might the intellectual and scientific landscape have been like that would make a series like "SCIENCE AND EDUCATION," with volumes on foundational science, medical research, and university control, particularly relevant or timely?