Black Boxes

Marco J. Nathan explores the black box, the metaphorical term that scientists use for the isolation of a complex phenomenon that they don't yet understand. By detailing some fascinating episodes in the history of biology, psychology, and economics, Nathan's monograph revisits foundational questions about causation, explanation, emergence, and progress, showing how the insights of both reductionism and antireductionism can be reconciled into a fresh and exciting approach to science.