Malisoff, who was independently wealthy, seems to have financed the launch of
Philosophy of Science. Correspondingly he became its first editor. In the first issue he sought papers ranging from studies on "the analysis of meaning, definition, symbolism," in scientific theories to those on "the nature and formulation of theoretical principles" and "in the function and significance of science within various contexts." Its initial editorial board comprised
Eric Temple Bell,
Albert Blumberg,
Rudolf Carnap,
Morris Raphael Cohen, W.W. Cook,
Herbert Feigl,
Karl S. Lashley,
Henry Margenau,
Hermann Joseph Muller,
Susan Stebbing,
Dirk Jan Struik and
Alexander Weinstein.
C. West Churchman became the second editor of
Philosophy of Science upon the untimely death of
William Malisoff. Churchman resigned as editor in January 1957, after which Richard Rudner, his friend and former student took over. Subsequent editors include
Kenneth F. Schaffner, the philosopher and medical doctor, and
Philip Kitcher. Currently the editor-in-chief is
James Owen Weatherall and the editorial office is hosted by the Department of Logic and Philosophy of Science at the
University of California, Irvine.
Philosophy of Science was originally published in 1934 by The Williams and Wilkins Company of Baltimore, Maryland, which upon the death of Malisoff offered to bear the occasional losses of the journal and to share fifty-fifty in its profits. It is currently published by the
Cambridge University Press on behalf of the
Philosophy of Science Association. The journal contains essays, discussion articles, and book reviews in the field of the
philosophy of science.
Philosophy of Science was originally published quarterly. It is currently published four times a year, with a fifth issue each year containing proceedings from the biannual PSA meeting. == Abstracting and indexing ==