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Nancy Cartwright was born June 24,1944 in Pennsylvania.
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Cartwright earned a Bachelor of Science in mathematics from the University of Pittsburgh.
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Cartwright earned a Ph.D. in philosophy at the University of Illinois at Chicago Circle. Her thesis was on the concept of mixture in quantum mechanics.
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Cartwright became a Professor of Philosophy at Stanford University where she specialized in philosophy of physics and natural sciences.
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In this sequence of philosophical essays about natural science, Cartwright argues that fundamental explanatory laws, the deepest and most admired successes of modern physics, do not in fact describe regularities that exist in nature. Cartwright draws from many real-life examples to propound a novel distinction: that theoretical entities, and the complex and localized laws that describe them, can be interpreted realistically, but the simple unifying laws of basic theory cannot.
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Cartwright has spread her knowledge across many different cities and even countries. She has taught at Maryland, Stanford, Oslo, Princeton, Cambridge, UCLA and Pittsburgh. Cartwright is also an honorary professor at Tsing Hua University in Taiwan, and has mentored students who have gone on to become professional philosophers of science
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In this book Cartwright argues that capacities are essential in our scientific world, and, contrary to empiricist orthodoxy, that they can meet sufficiently strict demands for testability. Econometrics is one discipline where probabilities are used to measure causal capacities, and the technology of modern physics provides several examples of testing capacities
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Combining classic and newly written essays on physics and economics, The Dappled World carries important philosophical consequences and offers serious lessons for both the natural and the social sciences
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Became President of the PSA. Founded in 1933, the PSA engages in activities such as the publishing of periodicals, essays and monographs in the field of the philosophy of science; sponsoring conventions and meetings; and the awarding of prizes for distinguished work in the field.
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Cartwright was presented with the Carl Gustav Hempel Award by Professor Alison Wylie, recognizing lifetime scholarly achievement in the philosophy of science
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Elected president for 2020-2023
