The Semantics of ScienceA&C Black, 2005 M04 15 - 240 pages The Semantics of Science proposes a radical new rethinking of science and scientific discourse. Roy Harris argues that supercategories such as science, art, religion and history are themselves verbal constructs, and thus language-dependent. Because each supercategory is constructed differently, it is necessary to pay attention to the linguistic process by which a discourse such as 'science' has developed. Through this view it is possible to observe that the function of the supercategory is to integrate what would otherwise be separate activities and enquiries, and the result of this integration is therefore a re-drawing of the intellectual world that society as a whole adopts. In the course of his study of The Semantics of Science Roy Harris looks at the history and development of scientific discourse to show through language that what is meant by science has changed since it was first theorised by the Greeks. Harris traces the semantic development of 'science' through the years of the Royal Society to the present day, moving on to an analysis of rhetoric, mathematics, common sense and finally the supercategory of semantics. This lucidly written yet radical new theory on the language of science will be fascinating reading for academics and students researching semantics, semiotics or applied linguistics. |
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Page vii
... experience , by which we mean unambiguous communication . Niels Bohr , 1954 It is a major triumph of science to have evolved a language which is largely independent of culture . Colin Cherry , 1957 One of the drawbacks of writing about ...
... experience , by which we mean unambiguous communication . Niels Bohr , 1954 It is a major triumph of science to have evolved a language which is largely independent of culture . Colin Cherry , 1957 One of the drawbacks of writing about ...
Page xii
... the given facts are merely laws of experience, then they carry with themselves no con- sciousness of their necessity (are not apodeictically certain), and thus the whole does not in a strict sense deserve the name xii Preface.
... the given facts are merely laws of experience, then they carry with themselves no con- sciousness of their necessity (are not apodeictically certain), and thus the whole does not in a strict sense deserve the name xii Preface.
Page 10
... experiences of immersion . However strong our impres- sions may be that these things are so , they do not , as such , have any unimpeachable ( scientific ? ) status . More interesting still are the linguistic implications of Aristotle's ...
... experiences of immersion . However strong our impres- sions may be that these things are so , they do not , as such , have any unimpeachable ( scientific ? ) status . More interesting still are the linguistic implications of Aristotle's ...
Page 11
... experienced when- ever one of these constituents is deficient or in excess or is isolated in the body and is not blended with all the others . For , whenever any one of these is isolated and stands by itself , of necessity not only does ...
... experienced when- ever one of these constituents is deficient or in excess or is isolated in the body and is not blended with all the others . For , whenever any one of these is isolated and stands by itself , of necessity not only does ...
Page 21
... experience can be taken as certain, and hence that no vocabulary based merely on sense experience can be other than deceptive. So we are left in a cleft stick. For all practical communicational purposes we have to work with the language ...
... experience can be taken as certain, and hence that no vocabulary based merely on sense experience can be other than deceptive. So we are left in a cleft stick. For all practical communicational purposes we have to work with the language ...
Contents
1 | |
5 | |
25 | |
3 Semantics and the Royal Society | 47 |
4 Science in the kitchen | 64 |
5 The rhetoric of linguistic science | 83 |
6 Mathematics and the language of science | 106 |
7 Science and common sense | 129 |
8 Supercategory semantics | 152 |
9 Integrating science | 176 |
Appendix 1 Einstein on science and reality | 189 |
Appendix 2 Heisenberg on language | 202 |
References | 209 |
Index | 215 |
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Common terms and phrases
according already Aristotelian Aristotle Aristotle's assumptions basis Betty Bloomfield Bohr Boyle’s law Bridgman called Carnap claim classical physics communication concept copper correspondence counting defined Demiurge described discourse distinction Einstein everyday example existing experience explain fact fixed code fixed-code geography Greek Harré Heisenberg Heisenberg 1989 Holt-Jensen human idea inquiry integration integrationist kind knowledge Kuhn language of science language user linguistic logic material objects mathematics means measurement Medawar metaphysical modern names Nature Neogrammarian notion number-words observation ordinary language paradigm particular philosophy of language philosophy of science physics possible pre-scientific principles problem proposed psychocentric question reference relativity of simultaneity reocentric reocentric semantics rhetoric rhetoric of science Saussure scientific method scientists seems semantics of science sense signs simultaneity space spagyrists Sprat statement supercategory suppose symbols syntax Thales theory things tion trajectory truth understand verbal Vienna Circle Wilkins words