Thing Knowledge: A Philosophy of Scientific InstrumentsWestern philosophers have traditionally concentrated on theory as the means for expressing knowledge about a variety of phenomena. This absorbing book challenges this fundamental notion by showing how objects themselves, specifically scientific instruments, can express knowledge. As he considers numerous intriguing examples, Davis Baird gives us the tools to "read" the material products of science and technology and to understand their place in culture. Making a provocative and original challenge to our conception of knowledge itself, Thing Knowledge demands that we take a new look at theories of science and technology, knowledge, progress, and change. Baird considers a wide range of instruments, including Faraday's first electric motor, eighteenth-century mechanical models of the solar system, the cyclotron, various instruments developed by analytical chemists between 1930 and 1960, spectrometers, and more. |
Contents
| 1 | |
REPRESENTING THINGS | 21 |
3 WORKING KNOWLEDGE | 41 |
4 ENCAPSULATING KNOWLEDGE | 67 |
5 THE INSTRUMENTATION REVOLUTION | 89 |
6 THING KNOWLEDGE | 113 |
7 THE THINGYNESS OF THINGS | 145 |
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Common terms and phrases
analytical chemistry artifact Baird Associates black-boxing Boyle’s Law Caldecourt changes chapter chemical analysis chemists commodity concept condenser cyclotron device Diffraction Gratings direct reader direct-reading spectrometer electric electromagnet electronics elements empirical epistemic epistemological experience Faraday Faraday’s focused function gift economies grating Hacking heat ibid idea images important indicator diagram instru instrument makers instrumental methods instrumental objectivity kind knowl laboratory latent heat Lawrence Livingston machine magnetic field Magnetic resonance image material models measuring mechanical ment metal motor Müller optical orrery phenomena phenomenon Philosophy photomultiplier tubes physical Popper pressure pressure-volume problems produced provides pulse glass reliable Reprinted by permission Robison Rowland Saunderson science and technology Scientific Instruments scientific knowledge sense sensible heat skills slit Smeaton spectral lines spectrochemical spectrograph spectroscopy steam engine strument subjective theoretical theory thing knowledge thing-y-ness of things tion understanding vacuum waterwheel Watson Watt