Alan Musgrave

BA(Hons)(1961) PhD (1969)(London)

Email: alan.musgrave@otago.ac.nz

Alan was educated at the London School of Economics, where with Imre Lakatos he edited Criticism and the Growth of Knowledge, one of the most influential collections of essays in recent philosophy of science. He came to Otago as Head of Department in 1970, retiring from this post in 2005. His chief interests are the theory of knowledge and the history and philosophy of science. His book Common Sense, Science, and Scepticism forms the basis of the introductory course in epistemology. Essays on Realism and Rationalism (1999) is a collection of his articles.

Teaching

PHIL 102 Knowledge & Truth
PHIL 226 History of Science

PHIL 326 History of Science

PHIL 411 Realisms and Antirealisms

Supervision Interests

• Epistemology
• Philosophy of Science
• Philosophy of Mathematics
• Theories of Truth

Recent publications include

Musgrave, A.E. (2007) 'The Miracle Argument for Scientific Realism', The Rutherford Journal: The New Zealand Journal for the History and Philosophy of Science and Technology

Musgrave, A.E. (2006) 'Responses', Rationality and Reality: Conversations with Alan Musgrave, C. Cheyne and J. Worrall (eds). Dordrecht: Springer, 293-333

Musgrave. A.E. (2006) 'Critical Rationalism', The Power of Argumentation (Poznan Studies in the Philosophy of the Sciences and Humanities , vol. 91). E. Suarez-Iniguez (ed). Amsterdam/New York: Rodopi, 185-224

Musgrave, A.E. (2004) 'How Popper [might have] solved the problem of induction', Philosophy , 79: 19-31. [Reprinted in Karl Popper: Critical Assessments of Leading Philosophers. Anthony O'Hear (ed).   Routledge, London (2003), Volume II, 140 - 151, and in Karl Popper: Critical Appraisals. P. Catton and G. Macdonald (eds). London: Routledge (2004) 16-27.]

Musgrave, A.E. (2002) 'Karl Poppers kritischer Rationalismus', Karl Poppers kritischer Rationalismus heute. Jan M. Bohm, Keiko Holweg and Claudia Hook (eds). Tubingen: Mohr Siebeck, 25-42

Musgrave, A. E. (2002) 'Response to Gerhard Schurz', Karl Poppers kritischer Rationalismus heute. Jan M. Bohm, Keiko Holweg and Claudia Hook (eds). Tubingen: Mohr Siebeck, 254-256

Musgrave, A. E. (2004) 'How Popper [Might Have] Solved the Problem of Induction' Philosophy, 79: 19-31.

Musgrave, A.E. (2001) 'Metaphysical Realism versus Word-Magic' in D. Aleksandrowicz and Hans Gunther Russ (eds). Realismus Disziplin Interdisziplilinaritat, Amsterdam and Atlanta, GA: Editions Rodopi, 29-54

Musgrave, A.E. (2001)'Rationalitat und Zuverlassigkeit'. Logos: Zeithschrift fur systematische Philosophie,  7: 94-114

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