This brief review of Mario Bunge’s research on physics begins with an analysis of his masterpiece Foundations of Physics, and then it discusses his other contributions to the philosophy of physics. Following that is a summary of his more recent reactions to scientific discoveries in physics and a discussion of his position about non-locality in quantum mechanics, as well as his changing opinions on the nature of spacetime. The paper ends with a brief assessment of Bunge’s legacy concerning the foundations (...) of physics. (shrink)

Axiomatization is uncommon outside mathematics, partly for being often viewed as embalming, partly because the best-known axiomatizations have serious shortcomings, and partly because it has had only one eminent champion, namely David Hilbert. The aims of this paper are to describe what will be called dual axiomatics, for it concerns not just the formalism, but also the meaning of the key concepts; and to suggest that every instance of dual axiomatics presupposes some philosophical view or other. To illustrate these points, (...) a theory of solidarity will be crafted and axiomatized, and certain controversies in both classical and quantum physics, as well as in the philosophy of mind, will be briefly discussed. The upshot of this paper is that dual axiomatics, unlike the purely formal axiomatics favored by the structuralists school, is not a luxury but a tool helping resolve some scientific controversies. (shrink)

By appealing to resources found in the scientific understanding literature, I identify in what senses idealisations afford understanding in the context of the (magnetic) Aharonov-Bohm effect. Three types of concepts of understanding are discussed: understanding-what, which has to do with understanding a phenomenon; understanding-with, which has to do with understanding a scientific theory; and understanding-why, which has to do with the reason some phenomenon occurs. Consequently, I outline an account of understanding-with that is suggested by the historical controversy surrounding the (...) Aharonov-Bohm effect. (shrink)

Deeply rethinking the teaching of philosophy: problems and appropriationResumen: ¿Para qué sirve la filosofía? es la pregunta que se hace desde fuera de la comunidad filosófica y cuya respuesta puede abrir puertas o poner serios obstáculos a su consolidación como asignatura. El permanente cuestionamiento externo por la “falta de utilidad” y la constante labor apologética que genera, parecen ser un indicio de que la filosofía requiere innovación en algunos aspectos de su enseñanza. A fin de contribuir con este esfuerzo es (...) imprescindible identificar los problemas, y se determina que la falta de interacción con la ciencia puede ser uno de ellos. Se presentan dos ideas que se enlazan metodológicamente con este cambio de enfoque: una es poner el énfasis en los problemas filosóficos y no en autores; y la otra es facilitar que los estudiantes se apropien intelectualmente de la filosofía como elemento constitutivo de su pensamiento. Ambas ideas se implementarían sobre el trasfondo de establecer una relación estrecha con la ciencia, así como realizar cambios en la didáctica.: How is philosophy useful? is the question posed from outside the philosophical community and whose answer can either open doors or become a serious obstacle to its consolidation as a subject. The constant external questioning regarding its “lack of usefulness”, and the apologetic task it generates, seem to be an indication that philosophy requires innovation in some aspects of its teaching. In order to contribute to this effort it is essential to identify the problems, and it is determined that the lack of interaction with science may be one of them. Two ideas which are methodologically linked to this change of approach are presented: one is to underscore the philosophical problems and not the authors; and the other one is to enable the students to appropriate philosophy intellectually as a constitutive element of their thinking. Both ideas would be implemented on the basis of establishing a close relation with science, as well as making some changes in didactics. Palabras clave: educación, innovación, filosofía, ciencia, problema, apropiación. Keywords: education, innovation, philosophy, science, problem, appropriation. (shrink)