The Laboratory of the Mind Thought Experiments in the Natural Sciences

Wea (TM)ve all heard of Newton's bucket, Einstein's elevator, and SchrAdinger's cat - these are some of the best known examples of thought experiments in the natural sciences. But what function do these experiments perform? Are they really experiments at all? Can they help us gain a greater understanding of the natural world, or are they merely illustrations of one or another argument about the way things work? In this revised and updated new edition of his classic text, The Laboratory of the Mind, James Robert Brown continues to defend apriorism in the physical world, including a new chapter on the role of intuition in thought experiments, and new material on thought experiments in mathematics. With plenty of illustrations, and updated coverage of the debate between rational platonism and classic empiricism, this is a lively and edifying contribution to the field of philosophy of science.

Newton's bucket, Einstein's elevator, Schrödinger's cat – these are some of the best-known examples of thought experiments in the natural sciences. But what function do these experiments perform? Are they really experiments at all? Can they help us gain a greater understanding of the natural world? How is it possible that we can learn new things just by thinking? In this revised and updated new edition of his classic text The Laboratory of the Mind, James Robert Brown continues to defend apriorism in the physical world. This edition features two new chapters, one on “counter thought experiments” and another on the development of inertial motion. With plenty of illustrations and updated coverage of the debate between Platonic rationalism and classic empiricism, this is a lively and engaging contribution to the field of philosophy of science.

James Robert Brown is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Toronto.