Ernst Mach - A Deeper Look

Ernst Mach -- A Deeper Look has been written to reveal to English-speaking readers the recent revival of interest in Ernst Mach in Europe and Japan. The book is a storehouse of new information on Mach as a philosopher, historian, scientist and person, containing a number of biographical and philosophical manuscripts publihsed for the first time, along with correspondence and other matters published for the first time in English. The book also provides English translations of Mach's controversies with leading physicists and psychologists, such as Max Planck and Carl Stumpf, and offers basic evidence for resolving Mach's position on atomism and Einstein's theory of relativity. Mach's scientific, philosophical and personal influence in a number of countries -- Austria, Germany, Bohemia and Yugoslavia among them -- has been carefully explored and many aspects detailed for the first time. All of the articles are eminently readable, especially those written by Mach's sister. They are deeply researched, new interpretations abound, and the bibliography includes recent works by and about Mach from over a dozen countries. The book also contains many articles by or about Mach's contemporaries, including Ostwald, Dingler, Weichert and, especially, Einstein. Finally, and most intriguingly, the original ideas of Japanese scholars are presented, built on Mach's philosophy. These demonstrate how Mach's world view is currently contributing to the solution of contemporary philosophical problems.

Inhalt

Section I: Historical Documents. 1. Some Biographical Documents. 2. Ernst Mach in Prague. 3. Ernst Mach as a Historian of Science as Seen in Book Reviews and Notes (1896-1932). 4. Mach Correspondence. Section II: Philosophical Documents. 5. Some Philosophical Documents. 6. The Mach-Planck Polemics. 7. Mach and Einstein. 8. Mach's Relativity vs. Einstein's Relativity. Section III: Anthology. 9. The Scientist as a Buddhist; U. Baatz. 10. Mach's Phenomenalism as a Link between Physics and Psychology; M. Cekic. 11. Poetic Imagination and Economy: Ernst Mach as Theorist of Science; R. Haller. 12. Mach's Relativism vs. Apriorism and the Mechanistic World View; K. Noé. 13. Mach's Critique of Newtonian Mechanics; M. Bunge. 14. More on Mach and Einstein; G. Holton. 15. Three Batches of Reasons for Mach's Rejection of Einstein's Theory of Relativity; R. Itagaki. 16. Mach, Einstein, and Kuwaki; S. Tanaka. 17. Ernst Mach's Influence on Four Japanese Thinkers; M.A. Santone. 18. The `Verein Ernst Mach' -- What was it really? F. Stadler. 19. The Influence of Mach's Philosophy in Yugoslavia; M. Cekic. 20. Mach, Utrecht, and Dutch Philosophy; H. Visser. Bibliography. Index.