Science and Hypothesis
by Henri Poincaré · La Science et l'Hypothèse
Assigned by 2 of the 9 reading lists, catalogue entry only
- Written
- 1902
- Language
- French
- Length
- Medium · 250 pp120 to 300 pages
- Difficulty
- Demanding3 of 5 for a first-year reader
We recommendScience and Hypothesis, translated by Mélanie Frappier, Andrea Smith and David J. StumpBloomsbury, 2018A fresh complete translation; the 1905 Dover text is the one in Great Books and is free online.
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Poincaré's first book for general readers, on the role of hypothesis in mathematics and physics. He argues that mathematical induction is a synthetic a priori judgement, that the axioms of geometry are neither empirical facts nor necessary truths but conventions chosen for convenience, and that the principles of mechanics have the same conventional character. The final part surveys the physics of his day, from the theory of light to electrodynamics, and asks which hypotheses are fruitful and which merely disguise ignorance.
No reading guide yet
The catalogue entry above is complete: the dates, the form, the themes and every program that assigns Science and Hypothesis are verified against each program's published list.
What is missing is the part that takes real work: the summary, the key passages, and a recommended translation. The edition named below is the one most programs assign, so the buy links are useful already.
