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Born
Born Nov. 16, 1901, Nové Město, Bohemia -
Thought progression
Formerly an exponent of logical realism, Nagel later abandoned a realistic ontology for an empirical and theoretical philosophy of science. (Britannica) -
Most Famous Book
In 1961 Nagel published his most famous and widely read book, The Structure of Science.(Encyclopedia) -
The Structure of Science
This book is considered one of the most important works in the field of Philosophy of Science. This book outlines four types of scientific explanation. -
Deductive
Where the explanation follows logically from the premises of the argument (Encyclopedia) -
Probabilistic
Where the explanation is probable given the premises (Encyclopedia) -
Teleological (functional)
Where the explanation defines the function or goal of what is explained or studied (Encyclopedia) -
Genetic
Meaning historical, where the explanation relies on earlier knowledge to explain the studied object (Encyclopedia) -
Book Cont.
The book also examined the nature of scientific theories and attempted to show that all scientific theories, including those in the social sciences, can be explained by the same empirical methods usually associated with the physical sciences. (Encyclopedia) -
Death
20 September 1985 in New York City -
Resources
1: Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Ernest Nagel". Encyclopedia Britannica, 12 Nov. 2020, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ernest-Nagel. Accessed 8 March 2021. 2: "Nagel, Ernest ." Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives, Thematic Series: The 1960s. . Encyclopedia.com. 5 Mar. 2021 https://www.encyclopedia.com.