Tracing the development of thought experiments in the philosophy of natural sciences

Moue, AS; Masavetas, KA; Karayianni, H

dc.contributor.author	Moue, AS	en
dc.contributor.author	Masavetas, KA	en
dc.contributor.author	Karayianni, H	en
dc.date.accessioned	2014-03-01T01:25:25Z
dc.date.available	2014-03-01T01:25:25Z
dc.date.issued	2006	en
dc.identifier.issn	09254560	en
dc.identifier.uri	https://dspace.lib.ntua.gr/xmlui/handle/123456789/17655
dc.subject	Epistemology	en
dc.subject	Natural science	en
dc.subject	Philosophy of physics	en
dc.subject	Scientific discovery	en
dc.subject	Scientific method	en
dc.subject	Scientific reasoning	en
dc.subject	Thought experiments	en
dc.title	Tracing the development of thought experiments in the philosophy of natural sciences	en
heal.type	journalArticle	en
heal.identifier.primary	10.1007/s10838-006-8906-8	en
heal.identifier.secondary	http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10838-006-8906-8	en
heal.publicationDate	2006	en
heal.abstract	An overview is provided of how the concept of the thought experiment has developed and changed for the natural sciences in the course of the 20th century. First, we discuss the existing definitions of the term 'thought experiment' and the origin of the thought experimentation method, identifying it in Greek Presocratics epoch. Second, only in the end of the 19th century showed up the first systematic enquiry on thought experiments by Ernst Mach's work. After the Mach's work, a negative attitude towards thought experiments came in the beginning of the 20th century, which went on until the Thomas Kuhn's and Karl Popper's work on thought experiments. Only from the mid-1980s did thought experiments begin to be considered relevant to scientific enterprise. Finally, we show the existing empirical and 'functional' theories which have developed about the nature and purpose of thought experiments. © Springer Science+Business Media, Inc. 2006.	en
heal.journalName	Journal for General Philosophy of Science	en
dc.identifier.doi	10.1007/s10838-006-8906-8	en
dc.identifier.volume	37	en
dc.identifier.issue	1	en
dc.identifier.spage	61	en
dc.identifier.epage	75	en