Interpreting Mach: Critical Essays

doi:10.1017/9781108564311

This volume presents new essays on the work and thought of physicist, psychologist, and philosopher Ernst Mach. Moving away from previous estimations of Mach as a pre-logical positivist, the essays reflect his rehabilitation as a thinker of direct relevance to debates in the contemporary philosophies of natural science, psychology, metaphysics, and mind. Topics covered include Mach's work on acoustical psychophysics and physics; his ideas on analogy and the principle of conservation of energy; the correct interpretation of his scheme of 'elements' and its relationship to his 'historical-critical' method; the relationship of his thought to movements such as American pragmatism, realism, and neutral monism, as well as to contemporary figures such as Friedrich Nietzsche; and the reception and influence of his works in Germany and Austria, particularly by the Vienna Circle.

‘An important addition to the literature on modern philosophy and the philosophy of science … Recommended.’

J. R. Shook Source: Choice Magazine

- Aa Reduce text
- Aa Enlarge text

View selected items
Save to my bookmarks
Export citations
Download PDF (zip)
Save to Kindle
Save to Dropbox
Save to Google Drive
Save content to
To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to .

To save content items to your Kindle, first ensure no-reply@cambridge.org is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Please be advised that item(s) you selected are not available.
You are about to save
Your Kindle email address

Please provide your Kindle email.

@free.kindle.com @kindle.com (service fees apply)

By using this service, you agree that you will only keep content for personal use, and will not openly distribute them via Dropbox, Google Drive or other file sharing services

Contents

Interpreting Mach
pp i-ii
- - Get access
    
    Check if you have access via personal or institutional login
    
    Log in Register
- Export citation

Interpreting Mach - Title page
pp iii-iii
Critical Essays
- - Get access
    
    Check if you have access via personal or institutional login
    
    Log in Register
- Export citation

Copyright page
pp iv-iv
- - Get access
    
    Check if you have access via personal or institutional login
    
    Log in Register
- Export citation

Dedication
pp v-vi
- - Get access
    
    Check if you have access via personal or institutional login
    
    Log in Register
- Export citation

Contents
pp vii-viii
- - Get access
    
    Check if you have access via personal or institutional login
    
    Log in Register
- Export citation

Figures
pp ix-ix
- - Get access
    
    Check if you have access via personal or institutional login
    
    Log in Register
- Export citation

Tables
pp x-x
- - Get access
    
    Check if you have access via personal or institutional login
    
    Log in Register
- Export citation

Contributors
pp xi-xii
- - Get access
    
    Check if you have access via personal or institutional login
    
    Log in Register
- Export citation

Introduction
pp 1-9
A New Mach for a New Millennium
- By John Preston
- - You have access
- PDF
- HTML
- Export citation

1 - Ernst Mach’s Piano and the Making of a Psychophysical Imaginarium
pp 10-27
- By Alexandra Hui
- - Get access
    
    Check if you have access via personal or institutional login
    
    Log in Register
- Export citation

2 - Mother’s Milk and More
pp 28-47
On the Role of Ernst Mach’s Relational Physics in the Development of Einstein’s Theory of Relativity
- By Richard Staley
- - Get access
    
    Check if you have access via personal or institutional login
    
    Log in Register
- Export citation

3 - Meaningful Work
pp 48-66
Ernst Mach on Energy Conservation
- By Daan Wegener
- - Get access
    
    Check if you have access via personal or institutional login
    
    Log in Register
- Export citation

4 - Mach on Analogy in Science
pp 67-83
- By S. G. Sterrett
- - Get access
    
    Check if you have access via personal or institutional login
    
    Log in Register
- Export citation

5 - Ernst Mach’s Enlightenment Pragmatism
pp 84-102
History and Economy in Scientific Cognition
- By Thomas Uebel
- - Get access
    
    Check if you have access via personal or institutional login
    
    Log in Register
- Export citation

6 - On the Philosophical and Scientific Relationship between Ernst Mach and William James
pp 103-122
- By Alexander Klein
- - Get access
    
    Check if you have access via personal or institutional login
    
    Log in Register
- Export citation

7 - Ernst Mach and Friedrich Nietzsche
pp 123-141
On the Prejudices of Scientists
- By Pietro Gori
- - Get access
    
    Check if you have access via personal or institutional login
    
    Log in Register
- Export citation

8 - Abstraction, Pragmatism, and History in Mach’s Economy of Science
pp 142-163
- By Lydia Patton
- - Get access
    
    Check if you have access via personal or institutional login
    
    Log in Register
- Export citation

9 - Holding the Hand of History
pp 164-183
Mach on the History of Science, the Analysis of Sensations, and the Economy of Thought
- By Luca Guzzardi
- - Get access
    
    Check if you have access via personal or institutional login
    
    Log in Register
- Export citation

10 - Ernst Mach and the Vienna Circle
pp 184-207
A Re-evaluation of the Reception and Influence of His Work
- By Friedrich Stadler
- - Get access
    
    Check if you have access via personal or institutional login
    
    Log in Register
- Export citation

11 - Narratives Divided
pp 208-234
The Austrian and the German Mach
- By Michael Stöltzner
- - Get access
    
    Check if you have access via personal or institutional login
    
    Log in Register
- Export citation

12 - Phenomenalism, or Neutral Monism, in Mach’s Analysis of Sensations?
pp 235-257
- By John Preston
- - Get access
    
    Check if you have access via personal or institutional login
    
    Log in Register
- Export citation

13 - The Case for Mach’s Neutral Monism
pp 258-279
- By Erik C. Banks
- - Get access
    
    Check if you have access via personal or institutional login
    
    Log in Register
- Export citation

Index
pp 280-288
- - Get access
    
    Check if you have access via personal or institutional login
    
    Log in Register
- Export citation

Metrics

Altmetric attention score

Total number of HTML views: 0

Total number of PDF views: 0 *

Loading metrics...

Total views: 0 *

Loading metrics...

* Views captured on Cambridge Core between #date#. This data will be updated every 24 hours.

Usage data cannot currently be displayed.

Why this information is here

This section outlines the accessibility features of this content - including support for screen readers, full keyboard navigation and high-contrast display options. This may not be relevant for you.

Accessibility Information

Accessibility compliance for the PDF of this book is currently unknown and may be updated in the future.

Interpreting Mach

Critical Essays

This Book has been cited by the following publications. This list is generated based on data provided by Crossref.

Book description

Reviews

Refine List

Actions for selected content:

Contents

Interpreting Mach
pp i-ii

Interpreting Mach - Title page
pp iii-iii

Copyright page
pp iv-iv

Dedication
pp v-vi

Contents
pp vii-viii

Figures
pp ix-ix

Tables
pp x-x

Contributors
pp xi-xii

Introduction
pp 1-9

1 - Ernst Mach’s Piano and the Making of a Psychophysical Imaginarium
pp 10-27

2 - Mother’s Milk and More
pp 28-47

3 - Meaningful Work
pp 48-66

4 - Mach on Analogy in Science
pp 67-83

5 - Ernst Mach’s Enlightenment Pragmatism
pp 84-102

6 - On the Philosophical and Scientific Relationship between Ernst Mach and William James
pp 103-122

7 - Ernst Mach and Friedrich Nietzsche
pp 123-141

8 - Abstraction, Pragmatism, and History in Mach’s Economy of Science
pp 142-163

9 - Holding the Hand of History
pp 164-183

10 - Ernst Mach and the Vienna Circle
pp 184-207

11 - Narratives Divided
pp 208-234

12 - Phenomenalism, or Neutral Monism, in Mach’s Analysis of Sensations?
pp 235-257

13 - The Case for Mach’s Neutral Monism
pp 258-279

Index
pp 280-288

Metrics

Altmetric attention score

Full text views

Book summary page views

Accessibility standard: Unknown

Why this information is here

Accessibility Information

Interpreting Mach

Critical Essays

Book description

Reviews

Refine List

Actions for selected content:

Save Search

Contents

Metrics

Altmetric attention score

Full text views

Book summary page views

Accessibility standard: Unknown

Why this information is here

Accessibility Information