‘tis the Gift to Be Simple: a Retrospective Appreciation of Mach's the Science of Mechanics1
Year: 1985
Type: article
Abstract: Ernst Mach (1838Mach ( -1916) ) was one of the most influential figures of the 19th century and led the way for the development of a scientific framework for both physics and psychology in the 20th century (Blackmore, 1972).His ex- perimental contributions ranged from gas dynamics to psychophysics, but his formulation of the nature and goals of the scientific enter- prise was to be the most stimulating and con- troversial of his creations.Mach, as a repre- sentative of the positivist movement and as a phenomenalist, gets little attention these days.When his name does appear in the literature concerned with the history and philosophy of science, the criticism he receives is often harsh and is not always enlightened (e.g., Bunge, 1979; d'Abro, 1951; Lindsay & Margenau, 1981; Toraldo di Francia, 1981).There are, however, major exceptions to these trends (Cohen & Seeger, 1970;Laudan, 1981).Of his very large output of books, relatively few of which are now available in English, The Science of Mechanics must rank first in its influ- ence on subsequent developments in physics in particular and the tenor of scientific formula- tion in general.The issues raised in this book provided both stimulation for further positivistic developments (e.g., logical positivism) and a persisting focus for reactions against such 'Mach, E. (
Author: M. Jackson Marr
Institution: Georgia Institute of Technology
Language: English
Subfield: History and Philosophy of Science
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2134248572