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Early Life
Nancy Cartwright was born January 24, 1944 in Pennsylvania where she went on to earn her BS in mathematics. She then attended the University of Chicago and obtained a PhD in philosophy with a thesis on quantum mechanics. Cartwright married Canadian philosopher Ian Hacking, then remarried in 1985 to Stuart Hampshire, and remained married until his passing in 2004 at the hands of pancreatic cancer. He leaves her with two daughters. -
Teachings
Cartwright has spread her knowledge across many different cities and even countries. She has taught at Maryland, Stanford, Oslo, Princeton, Cambridge, UCLA and Pittsburgh. Cartwright is also an honorary professor at Tsing Hua University in Taiwan, and has mentored students who have gone on to become professional philosophers of science. -
Publications
Cartwright is a distinguished philosopher of science and has published many works in its name. Her most notable works are How the Laws of Physics Lie (1983), The Dappled World: A Study of the Boundaries of Science (1999), and Evidence Based Policy: A Guide to Doing It Better (2012), along with several articles. The knowledge in these texts have influenced many philosophers to re-examine and refine their works on the basis of evidence as opposed to the traditional historic beliefs. -
How the Laws of Physics Lie (1983)
As expressed in 'How the Laws of Physics Lie' (1983) Cartwright believed that science was focusing its energy and brainpower in generally the same areas, and not evenly distributed to gain further knowledge. The publication rejects the assumption that science is concerned with "articulation of natural laws and should focus study on underdeveloped areas" like the use of science to affect change (Nancy Cartwright's Philosophy of Science, 2009) -
Philosophy
Cartwright explained the idea of casual explanations and how they have truth "built into them" (2009). Many of these explanations come from high level theories that have much support, but no physical systems to support them. It also outlined the relationship between theoretical laws and the world. Causality and Evidence: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZtT9J2vfpsNDPR. Nancy Cartwright's Philosophy of Science, 2009 https://ndpr.nd.edu/news/nancy-cartwright-s-philosophy-of-science/ -
Where Are They Now?
Currently Cartwright is a professor of philosophy at the University of California in San Diego and at the University of Durham. She is former president of both Philosophy of Science Association and American Philosophical Association. Cartwright is co-Director of the Center for Humanities Engaging Science and Society (CHESS) in the Department of Philosophy, and a recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship. Her current project, Knowledge for Use (K4U), analyzes scientific research for better policies.
