Skip to main content

Books in Social sciences and humanities

Science and Convention
Essays on Henri Poincaré's Philosophy of Science and the Conventionalist Tradition
1st Edition
May 20, 2014
Jerzy Giedymin
Mario Bunge
English
Science and Convention: Essays on Henri Poincare's Philosophy of Science and The Conventionalist Tradition contains essays concerned with Henri Poincare's philosophy of science, physics in particular, and with the conventionalist tradition in philosophy that he revived and reshaped, simultaneously with, but independently of, Pierre Duhem. Separating five essays as chapters, the book discusses the main ideas of the philosophy (Essays 1 and 5), traces at least some of its historical background (Essays 1, 2, and 3), and provides some of its developments (Essays 2 and 4).
Relativity and Geometry
Foundations and Philosophy of Science and Technology Series
1st Edition
May 20, 2014
Roberto Torretti
Mario Bunge
English
Relativity and Geometry aims to elucidate the motivation and significance of the changes in physical geometry brought about by Einstein, in both the first and the second phases of relativity. The book contains seven chapters and a mathematical appendix. The first two chapters review a historical background of relativity. Chapter 3 centers on Einstein's first Relativity paper of 1905. Subsequent chapter presents the Minkowskian formulation of special relativity. Chapters 5 and 6 deal with Einstein's search for general relativity from 1907 to 1915, as well as some aspects and subsequent developments of the theory. The last chapter explores the concept of simultaneity, geometric conventionalism, and a few other questions concerning space time structure, causality, and time.
The Financial Issues of the New International Economic Order
Pergamon Policy Studies on The New International Economic Order
1st Edition
May 20, 2014
Jorge Lozoya + 1 more
English
The Financial Issues of the New International Economic Order discusses the establishment of the New International Economic Order (NIEO) in the monetary-financial area. Comprised of nine chapters, the book covers financial issues, such as monetary system, external debt, private bank, financing and capital markets, and petrodollars and collective reliance. Chapter 1 tackles the transfer of financial resource, while Chapter 2 discusses external disequilibrium in developing countries and the adjustment process. Chapter 3 deals with liquidity and international finance, and Chapter 4 covers the special drawing rights and development assistance. The fifth chapter discusses the trends of public external debt of developing countries, and the sixth chapter tackles the renegotiation of Third World debt and appropriate adjustments in international trade. Chapter 7 deals with financial aid and private banking institutions, while Chapter 8 covers the changing patterns in international liquidity and Eurocurrency multipliers. The last chapter discusses the use of OPEC funds for promoting collective self-reliance among developing countries. This book will be of great use to individuals who are interested in the financial issues faced by the NIEO.
Relativity
The Theory and Its Philosophy
1st Edition
May 20, 2014
Roger B. Angel
Mario Bunge
English
Relativity: The Theory and its Philosophy provides a completely self-contained treatment of the philosophical foundations of the theory of relativity. It also surveys the most essential mathematical techniques and concepts that are indispensable to an understanding of the foundations of both the special and general theories of relativity. In short, the book includes a crash course in applied mathematics, ranging from elementary trigonometry to the classical tensor calculus. Comprised of 11 chapters, this book begins with an introduction to fundamental mathematical concepts such as sets, relations, and functions; N-tuples, vectors, and matrices; and vector algebra and calculus. The discussion then turns to the concept of relativity and elementary foundations of Newtonian mechanics, as well as the principle of special relativity and its philosophical interpretation by means of empiricism and rationalism. Subsequent chapters focus on the status of the doctrine of conventionalism in the theory of special relativity; the commensurability of classical and relativistic mechanics; mathematical foundations of special relativistic physics; and the classical or Newtonian theory of gravitation. The principle of general covariance and its relation to the principle of general relativity are also examined. The final chapter addresses the fundamental question as to the actual information concerning the structure of spacetime that is conveyed to us through the theory of general relativity. This monograph will be of interest to students, teachers, practitioners, and researchers in physics, mathematics, and philosophy.
Schooling in East Asia, Forces of Change
Formal and Nonformal Education in Japan, The Republic of China, the Peoples Republic of China, South Korea, North Korea, Hong Kong, and Macau.
1st Edition
May 20, 2014
R. Murray Thomas + 1 more
English
Schooling in East Asia: Forces of Change describes the condition and backgrounds of formal and non-formal education in five East Asian nations and in two colonies. The book also considers the forces that have influenced the form that the seven educational systems have assumed. Organized into nine chapters, this book begins with an identification of the several significant historical features of East Asia. The next seven chapters are presented in four parts. Part I centers on Japan, Part II on the Republic of China on Taiwan and the People's Republic of China on the Asian mainland, Part III on South Korea and North Korea, and Part IV on the two colonies of Hong Kong and Macau. The final chapter presents a comparative analysis of the seven societies' schooling efforts.
Popper and After
Four Modern Irrationalists
1st Edition
May 20, 2014
D. C. Stove
English
Popper and After: Four Modern Irrationalists focuses on a tendency in the philosophy of science, of which the leading representatives are Professor Sir Karl Popper, the late Professor Imre Lakatos, and Professors T. S. Kuhn and P. K. Feyerabend. Their philosophy of science is in substance irrationalist. They doubt, or deny outright, that there can be any reason to believe any scientific theory; and a fortiori they doubt or deny, for example, that there has been any accumulation of knowledge in recent centuries. The book is composed of two parts and Part One explains how these writers succeeded in making irrationalism about science acceptable to readers. Part Two explores the intellectual influence that led these writers to embrace irrationalism about science.
Economic Integration Among Unequal Partners
The Case of the Andean Group
1st Edition
May 20, 2014
Alicia Puyana De Palacios
English
Economic Integration among Unequal Partners: The Case of the Andean Group discusses concerns regarding economic integration among less developed countries. The book provides quantitative analysis of progress and economic costs and benefits of the economic integration among the countries of the Andean Group. The text is comprised of eight chapters that are organized into three parts. The first part contains chapters that tackle the historical, political, and theoretical backgrounds of the Andean Group. The second part, which only contains Chapter 3, examines the effects of economic integration. The last part, which is comprised of the last remaining four chapters, covers the attitudes of those involved in the integration process. The book will be of great interest to individuals who have an interest in the implications of economic integration.
The Aesthetic Imperative
Relevance and Responsibility in Arts Education
1st Edition
May 20, 2014
Malcolm Ross
English
The Aesthetic Imperative: Relevance and Responsibility in Arts Education is a collection of papers that covers various concerns in assessment in the context of arts education. In the first chapters, the text examines the predicament of the arts. The next two chapters relate assessment in the context of esthetic education and evaluation in the arts. Chapter 4 talks about the assessment of esthetic developments in the visual mode. The fifth chapter details the importance of evaluating the quality of the test itself, while the sixth chapter covers the conflict between schools and art education. In Chapter 7, the book talks about treating English as an art. The eighth chapter discusses the relevance of art in education, while the ninth chapter provides a conclusive discussion on art education. The text will be of great interest to readers who are concerned with the status of art as part of a school curriculum.
The Quality of Life: Systems Approaches
Proceedings of the International Congress on Applied Systems Research and Cybernetics
1st Edition
May 20, 2014
G.E. Lasker
English
Applied Systems and Cybernetics covers the proceedings of the International Congress on Applied Systems Research and Cybernetics. The book presents several studies that cover the application of systems research and cybernetics in improving the quality of life. Majority of the materials in the text tackle various aspects of quality of life in relation to systems and cybernetics, such as living space, future prospects, work, education, politics, law, ethics and values, culture and ethnicity, and social systems. The selection also presents articles that cover the elemental properties of quality of life, such as the concept, views, indicators, and dimension. The book will be of great interest to any scientists regardless of disciplines, since it covers the main purpose of science, the improvement of quality of life.
Towards a System of Lifelong Education
Some Practical Considerations
1st Edition
May 20, 2014
A. J. Cropley
English
Towards a System of Lifelong Education: Some Practical Considerations focuses on the need to create a sound system of lifelong education, taking into consideration the processes, conditions, and factors involved. The book starts by defining lifelong education; how learning is done throughout an individual’s lifetime; and the relationship of lifelong education with educational practices and services. These topics are followed by the discussion of ideologies of lifelong education; the implementation of educational policies; and the methodologies involved in education practices. The book discusses as well the legislation related to lifelong education. The role of government, institutions, and international cooperation in promoting lifelong education is then highlighted. The book ends by stressing the role of educational administration in the advancement of lifelong education. This topic covers the relationship of bureaucracy and education; the complexity of the process of administration; and the problems that arise. The alternative financing arrangement for lifelong education is also emphasized. This selection is valuable to those who are interested in conducting studies on lifelong education, particularly how it is planned, implemented, and assessed.

Related subjects