Pierre Gassendi asserted, and for the first time successfully defended, the notion of an independently real space and time, thus providing seventeenth century physics with its needed philosophical foundation. This paper introduces the reader to Gassendi's work in physics and philosophy and describes some of his relationships to Galileo and his…

Discussions about the meaning of quantum mechanics remain stymied as a result of the failure of physicists to formulate a cognitive paradigm adequate to their theory. Explains why conventional interpretations are inadequate, and proposes a psychological explanation for the persistence of classical beliefs. (Author/GA)

Presents history, nature of evidence evaluated, and philosophical questions to justify the view that experiments on parity nonconservation were "crucial" experiments in the sense that they decided unambiguously and within a short period of time for the appropriate scientific community, between two or more competing theories or classes of theories.…

Outlines an approach to the teaching of a chapter in a quantum mechanics course. The exclusion principle is confronted with the principle of the "identity of the indiscernible" of Leibnitz. Concludes that philosophy can never replace scientific research, thus predicting directions of advances of physical theories. (GA)

The teaching of the process of science in physics courses is discussed with reference to recent intellectual trends. Arguments and examples indicate that process courses" must necessarily involve philosophical questions and questions of social criticism. A description is given of an interdisciplinary upper-division course. (Author/TS)

Explains how general physics textbooks introduce fundamental concepts on the basis of controversial philosophical outlooks, without indicating this either to the student or the instructor. Examines critically the philosophical approaches in a number of textbooks from a dialectical materialist viewpoint. (Author/GA)

The issue of observability and the relative roles of the senses and reason in understanding the world is reviewed. Eastern "mystical" philosophy serves as a focus in which interpretations of quantum mechanics, as well as the current bootstrap-quark controversy are seen in some slightly different contexts. (Author/GA)

Traces the historical sequence that establishes a clear line of connection from Newton and Locke through the philosophy of the Enlightenment and the evolution of deism to the American political tradition. (Author/GS)

Compares the features and the philosophy underlying the "bookstrap" model of strongly interacting particles with the concepts of Mahayana Buddhism. Indicates that a study of Eastern ideas might lead to the new viewpoint necessary for the future development of the hadron physics. (CC)