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Philosophy of Science

Philosophy 418/520

Spring 2007, TTH 1:15-2:35, SL-02

http://www.fecundity.com/courses

Professor:   P.D. Magnus

Campus phone: 2-4251

Office: HU-249

Office hours: T 2:45-3:45, W 1:00-2:00, and by appt.

Texts:   

Causation & Explanation, Stathis Psillos [C&E]

Oxford Readings in the Philosophy of Science, edited by David Papineau [Oxf]

Requirements

two take-home Exams   @ 25%

two Papers   @ 25%

5-8 pages (1500-2500 words) each.

Participation:   Participation in class discussion is required. Exemplary participation in class discussion will add to your grade, up to two-thirds of a letter grade.

Late papers:   Assignments will be considered late if they are not ready to hand in at the beginning of class on the day they are due. Each day late will result in a loss of one letter grade.

Academic honesty:   Students are encouraged to discuss issues from the course with each other and with others outside of class, but they are responsible for their own ideas. Cheating on exams will not be tolerated. Papers should include citations to any works cited or consulted, as well as acknowledgments of helpful interactions.

Absences:   Students who will need to miss class for religious observance, away games, or for other scheduled reasons should discuss these issues with the professor at the beginning of the term. If an emergency results in absence, the student should contact the professor as soon as possible. Make-up exams will be given only for documented, excused absences.

Schedule

This schedule is approximate. The topics for a given day may change as the term progresses.

Th 1/18
Introduction

After Positivism

Tu 1/23
Constructive Empiricism
Read van Fraassen, Oxf 82-92
Th 1/25
Internal Realism
Read Ellis, Oxf 166-193

Tu 1/30
continued

Laws of Nature

Th 2/1
A crash course on causation
Read Psillos, C&E 3-8

Tu 2/6
Laws of nature as regularities
Read Psillos, C&E 137-158
Th 2/8
Laws as necessities
Read Psillos, C&E 159-177

Tu 2/13
More about laws
Read Psillos, C&E 179-211
Th 2/15
The patchwork view of laws
Read Cartwright, Oxf 314-326


WINTER BREAK!

Explanation

Tu 2/27
The DN model
Read Psillos, C&E 215-239
1st Paper due
Th 3/1
...

Tu 3/6
Statistical explanation
Read Psillos, C&E 241-262
Th 3/8
Explanation of laws
Read Psillos 263-279

Tu 3/13
Explanation and metaphysics
Read Psillos, C&E 281-293
Th 3/15
Relations between sciences
Read Kitcher (on reserve)
1st Exam handed out

Tu 3/20
...
1st Exam due

Scientific success

Th 3/22
Explanationist realism
Read Boyd, Oxf 215-255

Tu 3/27
...
Th 3/29
Underconsideration
Read Lipton, Oxf 93-106


SPRING BREAK!

Tu 4/10
The pessimistic induction
Read Laudan, Oxf 107-138
Th 4/12
Structural realism
Read Worrall, Oxf 139-166

Tu 4/17
A crash course on probability
Th 4/19
The base rate fallacy
Read Callender et al. (on reserve)

Tu 4/24
For Bayesianism
Read Salmon, Oxf 256-290
Th 4/26
...

Tu 5/1
Against Bayesianism
Read Glymour, Oxf 290-313
2nd Paper due
Th 5/3
...

Tu 5/8
Concluding thoughts
2nd Exam handed out
later
2nd Exam due

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