Philosophy of Science: A Unified Approach

Focusing on East Asia, this book sets out a framework for analyzing infectious disease threats in security terms. It covers the security significance of naturally occurring disease outbreak events such as SARS and avian influenza, the development and use of biological weapons by state and non-state actors, and the security risks associated with laboratory research on pathogenic micro-organisms. Christian Enemark devises a conceptual framework for securitization that is useful for policy makers by using the overlaps and synergies between different infectious disease threats. The book draws heavily on material from public health and scientific literature to illustrate the cross-disciplinary requirements for addressing infectious diseases challenges in security terms. Fast-moving, naturally occurring disease threats are of increasing concern to governments and individuals, and it is therefore important to recognize their close relationship to the security challenges posed by Biological Weapons and pathogen research. Disease and Security will be of much interest to students of international security, public health and Asian politics.

Table of Contents:

Foreword 1 Introduction: Where Do We Stand? 2 The Question of Unity: In Search for Common Foundations of the Sciences 3 The Conceptual Toolkit: Language, Logic and Probability 4 A Question of Fit: Law Hypotheses and their Empirical Testing 5 Going Beyond Experience: Theories and their Empirical Evaluation 6 In Search of Causes: Explanation and All That Goes With It Bibliography Index

Gerhard Schurz is Professor of Theoretical Philosophy and Director of the Center for Logic and Philosophy of Science at the University of Duesseldorf.

I consider this book to be a unique work both with regard to the sheer amount of material it covers but also with regard to the clarity, depth and insight with which these matters are dealt with by one of Europe’s foremost analytic philosophers. I would not hesitate to use it in an advanced course on the subject, and I believe it would work well also for an introductory course given the careful way in which the book is structured into introductory and advanced material.

Erik J. Olsson, Lund University

Philosophy of Science: a Unified Approach revamps and bolsters the logical empiricist way to think about and to practice philosophy of science. It combines technical precision and rigour with philosophical breadth and depth. It delves into all major philosophical problems and issues in general philosophy of science. It elegantly presents the received positions and approaches, but it also articulates novel views and arguments. It systematically explains the necessary technical concepts and makes them do deep philosophical work. Philosophy of Science: a Unified Approach lives up to its promise to highlight and defend the methodological unity of the sciences. Gerhard Schurz has written a superb introduction to philosophy of science; novices and experts alike have a lot to learn from it.

Stathis Psillos, University of Western Ontario & University of Athens

This is an excellent introduction to the general philosophy of science. It is lucidly written and very well structured in elementary and advanced subsections. Inspired by the classic authors of the 20th century, such as Carnap and Popper, and guided by the methodological version of the idea of the unity of the sciences and the humanities, Gerhard Schurz shows how it stands with the main topics in the first decades of the 21th century.

Theo Kuipers, University of Groningen