Universal Aspects of Scientific Practice: Commitment, Methodology, and Technique (SpringerBriefs in Philosophy)

Preface
Contents
1 Introduction
2 Case Studies
	2.1 Kepler: The Structure of the Universe Based on (1) The Nesting Hypothesis With a Commitment to an Intelligible Principle to Account for the Gaps Between the Planetary Spheres, and (2) The Periodicity of Planetary Motion with a Commitment to a Principle that Gives Priority to Distance Over Time
		2.1.1 “The Solids”: Failure
		2.1.2 “The Motions”: Success
		2.1.3 Summary
	2.2 Maupertuis: A Defense of Newton’s Theory of Gravitation Against Empirical Refutation, Based on New Geodetic Measurements Concerning the Shape of the Earth—The Former Is the Commitment and the Latter, the Methodology
	2.3 Doppler: Commitment to the Claim that Both Light and Sound are Longitudinal Waves so that the Formal Description of These Two Distinct Phenomena Would Be the Same, thus Facilitating the Methodology of Analogy
	2.4 Maxwell: Commitment to a Novel Concept Against the Received View Coupled with a Series of Methodologies
	2.5 Maury: A Rigorous Application of the Methodology of Classification with a Commitment to a Comprehensive Representation of Stellar Spectra, Based on Judgment Rather than Rules, Using Techniques Developed in Spectroscopy
	2.6 Einstein: Confidence in an Existing Theory Against Experimental Refutation, Based on a Commitment to Principle Theories
	2.7 Sommerfeld: Commitment to the Atom as a Planetary System, with a Mechanical Explanation (Including Relativistic Effects) of Atomic Phenomena
	2.8 The Case of LIGO: For Both Parties, Scientists and Administrators Alike, the Commitment Is to Einstein’s Theory of General Relativity Associated with a Methodology of Adapting an Instrument from one Domain and Applying it to the Target Domain with Increasingly Sensitive Techniques
3 Conclusion: Features of Scientific Practice—Commitment, Methodology, and Technique
References
Index