One of the more interesting of the scientists working today is David Deutsch. David Deutsch takes philosophy seriously. This is a refreshing change from the mood of anti-philosophy prevalent in many areas of science. Though I am in full agreement with many of the criticisms of how contemporary philosophy is undertaken, it is not the case that philosophy is unimportant or bad. philosophy is a very important subject and for one main reason -- bad world-views, which are invariably suffused with bad philosophy, can have disastrous consequences. This is the same apology that Popper gives for the practice of philosophy. Philosophical investigation and discussion of our expectations and world-view can help us eliminate those ones that are false and retain those that are true and so remove bad view that will lead to those outcomes. We should let theories die in our stead.
Rant over. Now to the goal of this post. I recently stumbled on a blog called Apple Butter Dreams, the author of which gives an extensive reading list on Deutsch (and incidentally, Karl Popper) with some interesting commentary on the chapters he chooses, he also gives suggestions for reading around the subjects.
This is the author, Joe Kern's, appraisal of DD's work.
Professional physicist and semi-pro philosopher David Deutsch’s works—most of The Fabric of Reality (1997) and a few parts of The Beginning of Infinity (2011)—have completely transformed my view of life and the universe, at a comparable level to probably only two other works I’ve encountered, Richard Dawkins’ The Selfish Gene (1976) and part 3 of Derek Parfit’s Reasons and Persons (1984). (Go Oxford!) I feel that anyone who regularly wrestles with the big ideas of science and/or philosophy should have Deutsch on their plate.
He also has many other topics that should be of interest, ranging from economics to relief work.
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