Michael Strevens

Many philosophers believe they can gain knowledge about the world from the comfort of their armchairs, simply by reflecting on the nature of things. But how can the mind arrive at substantive knowledge of the world without seeking its input? Michael Strevens proposes an original defence of the armchair pursuit of philosophical knowledge, focusing on "the method of cases," in...

Rich with tales of discovery from Galileo to general relativity, a stimulating and timely analysis of how science works and why we need it. It is only in the last three centuries that the formidable knowledge-making machine we call modern science has transformed our way of life and our vision of the universe—two thousand years after the invention of law,...