Science and Hypothesis - by Henri Poincaré (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

Science and Hypothesis is a classic text in history and philosophy of science. Widely popular since its original publication in 1902, this first new translation of the work in over a century features unpublished material missing from earlier editions.

Addressing errors introduced by Greenstreet and Halsted in their early 20th-century translations, it incorporates all the changes, corrections and additions Poincaré made over the years. Taking care to update the writing for a modern audience, Poincaré's ideas and arguments on the role of hypotheses in mathematics and in science become clearer and closer to his original meaning, while David J. Stump's introduction gives fresh insights into Poincaré's philosophy of science. By approaching Science and Hypothesis from a contemporary perspective, it presents a better understanding of Poincare's hierarchy of the sciences, with arithmetic as the foundation, geometry as the science of space, then mechanics and the rest of physics.

For philosophers of science and scientists working on problems of space, time and relativity, this is a much needed translation of a ground-breaking work which demonstrates why Poincaré is still relevant today.

Review Quotes

I heartily applaud David Stump, Melanie Frappier and Andrea Smith for this splendid new edition of Poincaré's Science and Hypothesis. By bringing language and terminology up-to-date and providing new insights they have ensured that the book can once again reach the wide audience originally reached by Poincaré. At the same time, they give us a fascinating glimpse into the state of philosophy on the eve of the 20th-century revolutions in mathematical and scientific thought.

Poincaré's essays on science and mathematics retain their importance after over a century because he stood back from the day-to-day tasks to reflect on what it is to do research, the kinds of questions that can be asked, and the kind of answers one might get. This new translation displays the lucidity of his thought, and David Stump's Foreword brings out the depths that lie beneath Poincaré's urbane style. There is new material here, too, and altogether this book is a fresh presentation of Poincaré as an intellectual companion for the twenty-first century.

This updated and corrected translation of Science and Hypothesis is an essential addition to both personal and institutional libraries. Scholars who prefer to read Poincaré in English, as well as general readers of philosophy of science, will appreciate this version, which was produced by a team of three translators/editors. In addition to corrections, the volume includes an additional chapter 14: a paper written in 1906 and added to French editions of 1917, but not included in any prior English translations. Happy reading!

About the Author

Henri Poincaré (1854-1912) was a French mathematician, theoretical physicist, and a philosopher of science.

David J. Stump is Professor of Philosophy at the University of San Francisco, USA.

Melanie Frappier is Associate Professor of Humanities at the University of King's College, Canada.

Andrea Smith has a Ph.D. in Romance Languages from UCLA, USA.