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. |
From inside the book
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Page xi
... practice? Murray puts it as follows: In antiquity, if a field was barren, the owner of it would probably assume that the barrenness was due to 'pollution', or offence somewhere. He would run through all his own possible offences, or at ...
... practice? Murray puts it as follows: In antiquity, if a field was barren, the owner of it would probably assume that the barrenness was due to 'pollution', or offence somewhere. He would run through all his own possible offences, or at ...
Page xiv
... practice turns out to be the case. They have been misled into assuming that language is in some sense a mirror of reality, and have seen scientific discourse as providing, at least ideally, a reliable and objective reflection of what ...
... practice turns out to be the case. They have been misled into assuming that language is in some sense a mirror of reality, and have seen scientific discourse as providing, at least ideally, a reliable and objective reflection of what ...
Page 8
... practice between what would nowadays be called science and technology, on the one hand, or between arts and sciences ... practices that divides them into sciences and non-sciences, but there was no form of inquiry or activity that had ...
... practice between what would nowadays be called science and technology, on the one hand, or between arts and sciences ... practices that divides them into sciences and non-sciences, but there was no form of inquiry or activity that had ...
Page 10
... practice; for successful practice does not necessarily require a basis in principles that 'command belief'. (One does not have to subscribe to the theory underlying Chinese acupuncture, let alone believe its theoretical credentials to ...
... practice; for successful practice does not necessarily require a basis in principles that 'command belief'. (One does not have to subscribe to the theory underlying Chinese acupuncture, let alone believe its theoretical credentials to ...
Page 17
... practice. A contract or other agreement between two parties might be formalized by breaking in two a shard, bone or other small object, with each person retaining one half. This provided a crude kind of safeguard against deception ...
... practice. A contract or other agreement between two parties might be formalized by breaking in two a shard, bone or other small object, with each person retaining one half. This provided a crude kind of safeguard against deception ...
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 Betty’s Bloomfield Bohr Boyle’s law Bridgman called Carnap claim classical physics communication concept conflict copper correspondence counting defined Demiurge described discourse distinction Einstein everyday example experience explain fact fixed code geography Greek Harré Heisenberg Heisenberg 1989 Holt-]ensen human inquiry integration integrationist kind knowledge Kuhn Kuhn’s 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 reflect relativity of simultaneity reocentric reocentric semantics rhetoric rhetoric of science Saussure Saussure’s scientific scientific method scientists seems semantics of science sense signs simultaneity space spagyrists Sprat statement supercategory symbols syntax Thales theorist theory things tion truth understand verbal Vienna Circle Wilkins words