PHIL 411 -- Philosophy of Science-- Spring 2010

ASSIGNMENTS AND COURSE NOTES

Week 1 -- 01/25-29 -- Presentation of the course, The demarcation problem, started

• Syllabus will be available on Friday the week before class
• Readings: Popper, Kuhn and Lakatos
• Handout: Science vs Pseudo Science : The demarcation problem will be available the day before class at the latest

Week 2 -- 2/2-5 -- Demarcation Problem, finished + Logical Positivism, started

• Monday:
  • Readings: Thagard, Ruse, Laudan, Ruse
  • Handout: Science vs Pseudo Science : The demarcation problem will be available the day before class at the latest
• Wednesday:
  • SYNTHESIS DUE ON THE DEMARCATION PROBLEM
  • Readings: Schlick, Boyd, McGuire ON BLACKBOARD
  • Handout: Logical Positivism will be available the day before class at the latest

Week 3 -- 2/8-12 -- Logical Positivism, finished + The historical turn, started

• Monday:
  • Readings: Schlick and Kuhn 1
  • Handout: The Historical Turn, started will be available the day before class at the latest
• Wednesday: Kuhn 2 + quick review of the historical turn after Kuhn
  • Readings: Kuhn (optional: Lakatos, Feyerabend, and Latour ON BLACKBOARD)
  • Presentation: James and Colin

Week 4 -- The Historical Turn, continued

• Monday 2/15: NO CLASS
• Wednesday 2/17:
  • Readings: Laudan
  • Presentation: Peter and Tim

Week 5 -- The Historical Turn, Finished -- The Semantic View, started

PROSPECTUS DUE ON FRIDAY 2/26

• Monday 2/22:
  • Readings: Longino
  • Presentation: Oliver and Anthony -- draft due on Monday 2/15
• Wednesday 2/24: CLASS CANCELED

Week 6 -- The Semantic View

• Monday 3/1: Half an hour on Longino, and then Suppe.
  • Readings: Suppe
  • Presentation: Colin and Anthony -- draft due on Wednesday 2/17
• Wednesday 3/3:
  • Readings: Suppes + Giere
  • Presentation: Arlo and Peter + Scott and Peter -- drafts due on Monday 2/22

Week 7 -- Theory and Evidence -- Underdetermination and Induction

• Monday 3/8:
  • SYNTHESIS DUE on the Nature and Structure of Scientific Theories: Logical Empiricism, Historical Turn, and Semantic View.
  • Readings: Duhem (CC 257)
  • Presentation: Andrew-- draft due on Monday 3/1
• Wednesday 3/10:
  • Quine, (CC 280)
  • Presentation SLB

Week 8 -- Theory and Evidence -- Underdetermination and Induction

• Monday 3/15:
  • Readings: Laudan (CC 220)
  • Presentation: Peter and Colin
• Wednesday 3/17:
  • Popper + Salmon (CC 426-444)
  • Presentation: Arlo + James

Week 9 -- Theory and Evidence -- Underdetermination and Induction

• Monday 3/22:
  • Nehamas at the Philosophy Forum
• Wednesday 3/24:
  • Hempel + Snyder (CC 445 - 480)
  • Presentation: (Rosalyn + Oliver) + SLB
• Friday, 3/26: FIRST DRAFT OF PAPER DUE before 3pm in my mailbox LA 101

Week 10 -- SPRING BREAK

Week 11 -- Underdetermination and Induction, finished -- Bayesianism

• Monday 4/5: Snyder (SLB) + SYNTHESIS DUE ON Underdetermination and Induction
• Wednesday: Salmon and Glymour (CC pp. 551-606) -- Presentation SLB

Week 12 -- Bayesianism, finished / Explanation, started

• Monday 4/12: Salmon on Bayesianism -- Presentation SLB
• Wednesday 4/14: Carnap and Hempel (CC pp. 678-694) -- Presentation SLB

Week 13 -- Explanation, finished

• Monday 4/19: DN-Explanations: Discussion. Prepare at least 2 objections or clarification requests regarding the DN model of explanation
• Wednesday 4/21: IS-Explanations -- Read Hempel (CC 706-719) -- and Conclusion

Week 14 -- Scientific Realism vs Empiricism

• Monday 4/26: SYNTHESIS ON EXPLANATION DUE -- Starting Realism: Maxwell pp. 1052-1063 -- Presentation Andrew
• Wednesday 4/28: van Fraassen pp. 1064 -1087 -- presentation SLB

Week 15 -- Scientific Realism vs Empiricism

• Monday 5/3 Laudan ()p.1114) -- Presentation Rosie and Colin
• Wednesday 5/5 Hacking (p.1152) -- Presentation Tim and Scott

Final Week: 5/12 3:20pm : Last Synthesis on Realism and Empiricism due