Peter Achinstein (born June 30, 1935) is an American philosopher of science at

Johns Hopkins University The Johns Hopkins University (often abbreviated as Johns Hopkins, Hopkins, or JHU) is a private university, private research university in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. Founded in 1876 based on the European research institution model, J ...

Biography

Achinstein is the son of Betty (née Comras) and economist Asher Achinstein. He received his B.A. and Ph.D. from

Harvard Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher lear ...

with a dissertation on Carnap's theory of probability. It was the German philosopher Carl G. Hempel, in a visit to Harvard in 1953–4 (replacing W.V. Quine who was on leave), who motivated him to pursue philosophy of science. Upon getting a Harvard Traveling Fellowship, Achinstein spent a year in Oxford in 1959 working under the guidance of P. F. Strawson. In Oxford he attended seminars and lectures delivered by

Gilbert Ryle Gilbert Ryle (19 August 1900 – 6 October 1976) was a British philosopher, principally known for his critique of Cartesian dualism, for which he coined the phrase " ghost in the machine". Some of Ryle's ideas in philosophy of mind have been ca ...

, A. J. Ayer, and

J.L. Austin JL or Jl may refer to: Companies, groups, organizations * Japan Airlines (IATA airline designator JL) * JL Audio, a manufacturer of consumer audio products * Jefferson Lines, an intercity bus company in the Midwestern United States * Jonos, Ltd ...

. Achinstein specializes in

philosophy of science Philosophy of science is the branch of philosophy concerned with the foundations, methods, and implications of science. Amongst its central questions are the difference between science and non-science, the reliability of scientific theories, ...

with strong interests in the

history of science The history of science covers the development of science from ancient history, ancient times to the present. It encompasses all three major branches of science: natural science, natural, social science, social, and formal science, formal. Pr ...

. Achinstein has taught for many years at Johns Hopkins University, where he is currently Krieger-Eisenhower Professor. In Spring 2009, Achinstein began teaching at

Yeshiva University Yeshiva University is a Private university, private Modern Orthodox Judaism, Orthodox Jewish university with four campuses in New York City.

as the Jay and Jeanie Schottenstein University Professor of Philosophy and is the founder and director of the Center for History and Philosophy of Science of Yeshiva University, New York. He returned to Johns Hopkins in Spring 2011. He has held Guggenheim, NEH, and NSF fellowships, and has served as a visiting professor at

MIT The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Established in 1861, MIT has played a significant role in the development of many areas of modern technology and sc ...

Stanford Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University, is a private research university in Stanford, California, United States. It was founded in 1885 by railroad magnate Leland Stanford (the eighth governor of and th ...

Graduate Center of the City University of New York The Graduate School and University Center of the City University of New York (CUNY Graduate Center) is a public research institution and postgraduate university in New York City. Formed in 1961 as Division of Graduate Studies at City University ...

, and the

Hebrew University of Jerusalem The Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HUJI; ) is an Israeli public university, public research university based in Jerusalem. Co-founded by Albert Einstein and Chaim Weizmann in July 1918, the public university officially opened on 1 April 1925. ...

. He is the author of seven influential books in the history and philosophy of science. Among them are ''Particles and Waves'', which shared the prestigious

Lakatos Award The Lakatos Award is given annually for an outstanding contribution to the philosophy of science, widely interpreted. The contribution must be in the form of a monograph, co-authored or single-authored, and published in English during the previou ...

in 1993. This book is a study of methodological problems arising from three episodes in 19th century physics: the wave-particle debate about light, the development of the kinetic-molecular theory, and the discovery of the

electron The electron (, or in nuclear reactions) is a subatomic particle with a negative one elementary charge, elementary electric charge. It is a fundamental particle that comprises the ordinary matter that makes up the universe, along with up qua ...

. In 2001, Achinstein published ''The Book of Evidence'', a philosophical and historical study of various concepts of evidence employed in the sciences. A volume of his important collected essays over the years, ''Evidence, Explanation, and Realism'', was published in the spring of 2010. A special volume honoring him, ''Philosophy of Science Matters: The Philosophy of Peter Achinstein'', was published in 2011. In 2013, Achinstein published ''Evidence and Method: Scientific Strategies of Isaac Newton and James Clerk Maxwell''. The book ''Speculation: Within and About Science'', appeared in 2018. Three of his published papers have been selected for "Philosopher's Annual," the best 10 philosophy papers published that year. He has three children, Jonathan, Sharon, and Betty. His daughter, Sharon Achinstein, is the Sir William Osler Professor of English at The Johns Hopkins University.

Former students

Many of Professor Achinstein's students have gone on in careers as philosophers. Among his best-known students are Alexander Rosenberg, with whom he shared the

, Kent Staley, and Helen Longino.

Publications

Books, monographs, and collected papers

*''Concepts of Science: A Philosophical Analysis'' (1968) *''Law and Explanation: An Essay in the Philosophy of Science'' (1971) *''The Nature of Explanation'' (1983) *''The Concept of Evidence'' (1983) *''Particles and Waves: Historical Essays in the Philosophy of Science'' (1991) *''The Book of Evidence'' (2003) *''Evidence, Explanation, and Realism: Essays in Philosophy of Science by Peter Achinstein'' (2010) * ''Evidence and Method: Scientific Strategies of Isaac Newton and James Clerk Maxwell'' (2013) * ''Speculation: Within and About Science'' (2018)

Edited volumes

*''The Legacy of Logical Positivism in the Philosophy of Science'' (co-editor with Stephen F. Barker, 1969) *''Studies in the philosophy of science; essays by Peter Achinstein nd others' (1969) *''Explanations: Papers and Discussions'' (Achinstein, et al.; edited by Stephan Körner. 1975) *''Observation, Experiment, and Hypothesis in Modern Physical Science'' (co-editor with Owen Hannaway, 1985) *''Kelvin's Baltimore Lectures and Modern Theoretical Physics: Historical and Philosophical Perspectives'' (co-editor with Robert Kargon, 1987) *''Scientific Methods: Conceptual and Historical Problems'' (co-editor with Laura J. Snyder, 1994) *''Science Rules: A Historical Introduction to Scientific Methods'' (editor, 2004) *''Scientific Evidence: Philosophical Theories and Applications'' (editor, 2005)

Selected articles

*"Is There a Valid Experimental Argument for Scientific Realism?" ''Journal of Philosophy'' (2002). *"What to do if you want to Defend a Theory you can't Prove?" ''Journal of Philosophy'' (2010).

References

External links

Official page
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Achinstein, Peter Living people Harvard College alumni Philosophers from New York (state) Philosophers from Maryland Johns Hopkins University faculty Yeshiva University faculty 1935 births American expatriates in England Lakatos Award winners