PHIL202 Fall 2023 Nancy Cartwright Timeline

By Josh Davidson

  • Nancy Cartwright

    Born in Pennsylvania, United States Nancy Carwright was born on this day. She would go on to become an influential philosopher of science.

  • Nancy Cartwright's Education

    Nancy Cartwright earned her Bachelors of Science in mathematics from the University of Pittsburgh and her Ph. D. in philosophy at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Her thesis was on the concept of mixture in quantum mechanics.

  • Nancy Cartwright's Teaching Career

    After her Ph. D. she taught at several institutions such as the University of Maryland, Stanford University, and London School of Economics. She has also visited various universities worldwide.

  • Nancy Cartwright's Contributions to Philosophy of Science

    Nancy Cartwright's philosophy of science is associated with the "Stanford School" of Patric Suppes, John Dupre, Peter Galison, and Ian Hacking. She made important contributions to the discussion on the laws of nature, causation and causal inference, scientific models in nature and social sciences, objectivity and the unity of science.

  • “How the Laws of Physics Lie” by Nancy Cartwright

    Her book can be summarized by the statement "that theoretical entities, and the complex and localized laws that describe them, can be interpreted realistically, but the simple unifying laws of basic theory cannot".
    This is the first of Nancy Cartwright's major books listed.
    Cartwright, Nancy. How the Laws of Physics Lie. Oxford University Press, 1983

  • "Nature’s Capacities and Their Measurement" by Nancy Cartwright

    This book argues for an empiricism, opposed to that of David Hume.
     
    Cartwright, Nancy. Nature’s Capacities and Their Measurement. Oxford University Press, 1994

  • "The Dappled World: A Study of the Boundaries of Science" by Nancy Cartwright

    This book argues against uniformity within the laws of nature in support of a patchwork of laws. Cartwright, Nancy. The Dappled World: A Study of the Boundaries of Science. Cambridge University Press, 1999

  • "Hunting Causes and Using Them: Approaches in Philosophy and Economics"

    This book is about the notions of causality, especially notions that connect causality with probability. Cartwright, Nancy. Hunting Causes and Using Them: Approaches in Philosophy and Economics. Cambridge University Press, 2007

  • Nancy Cartwright and Her Current Research

    In this brief informative video Nancy Cartwright explains her philosophical work involving causality and what she intends to accomplish through her work.

  • "Evidence Based Policy: A Practical Guide to Doing It Better" by Nacy Cartwright

    This book explains the types of information that are necessary for making reliable policy. Cartwright, Nancy, and Jeremy Hardie. Evidence Based Policy: A Practical Guide to Doing It Better. Oxford University Press, 2012

  • "Philosophy of Social Science: a new introduction"

    This is an up-to-date book for students with an interest in philosophy accompanying the plans of concentrating on social sciences. Cartwright, Nancy, and Eleonora Montuschi. Philosophy of Social Science: a new introduction. Oxford University Press, 2014