Rock, Bone, and Ruin: An Optimist's Guide to the Historical Sciences (Life and Mind: Philosophical Issues in Biology and Psychology)

The Earth's Deep Past Is A Fascinating Place To Visit, Both Disturbingly Alien And Hauntingly Familiar. In Its Life, The Earth Has Frozen Solid, Supported Enormous Animals (themselves Sporting Enormous Fleas!), Accommodated A Diversity Of Cultures, And A Diversity Of Ways-of-living. Rock, Bone & Ruin Asks How Much We Can Know About The Deep Past. To Answer This, We Need To Understand The Resources At Our Disposal: How Do Historical Scientists Like Paleontologists, Archaeologists And Geologists Learn About Prehistory? Most People Think Of Simple Relationships--such As That Between A Fossilized Bone And Its Long-dead Owner--when They Consider Historical Evidence. However, I Argue That Such Scientists Are Best Understood As 'methodological Omnivores': They Are Creative, Opportunistic And Use A Variety Of Different Strategies And Techniques. The Reasoning Used By Historical Scientists Is Much More Diverse And Complex Than We Have Previously Realized. And This Supports Optimism About Our Capacity To Discover The Deep Past: Our Knowledge Of It Shall Continue To Grow. Along The Way, We Critically Examine Philosophical And Scientific Reflection On The Relationship Between The Past And The Present, The Nature Of Evidence, Contingency, Scientific Progress And Scientific. Further, I Provide Suggestions About The Value Of Knowledge About The Past--including How It Can Inform Us In The Present And Into The Future--and How Such Sciences Are Best Supported. The Argument Draws On Fascinating Examples From Across Paleontology, Geology And Archaeology-- The Platypus's Tooth -- Snowballs & Sauropods -- Traces -- Over & Under -- Ripples -- The Main Business Of Historical Science -- Parochialism & Analogy -- Exquisite Corpse: Historicity & Analogy -- How To Build Sea-urchins & Manufacture Smoking Guns -- Idealization & Historical Knowledge -- Optimism, Speculation & The Future Of The Past -- Promoting Success In Historical Science: The Why And The How -- P.s. A Note On Progress & Realism. Adrian Currie. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.