PHIL 280: Introduction to Philosophy of Science

Winter 2010

Instructor: Dr. Jeffrey Koperski

Phone: 964-7251

 

Office: Brown 315

E-mail: koperski@svsu.edu

www.svsu.edu/~koperski/

 

Description: This course introduces students to the philosophy of the natural sciences.  The first two-thirds of the course examines some of the great revolutions in the history of physics:  the Copernican Revolution in astronomy, Newton's discovery of the laws of mechanics, the development of quantum mechanics, and the theory of relativity.  These events will be used to develop a general philosophical understanding of science.  Along the way, we will discuss some of the key issues examined by philosophers of science:  the confirmation of scientific hypotheses by empirical evidence, theory revision, and whether scientific claims should be interpreted as giving a true picture of physical reality.  The latter part of the course is devoted to controversies surrounding evolutionary theory.  No particular background in physics or biology is required.  In general, our emphasis will be on historical and conceptual issues.

Texts: All readings are either online or on Vspace. 

Assignments:

15% Test 1

15% Test 2

15% Test 3

25% Paper

15% Final Exam

15% In-Class Assignments

 

 

Paper topics will be given later in the semester.  See www.svsu.edu/~koperski/PaperGrades.htm for more on paper grades.  Exams will contain objective (e.g., multiple choice), short answer, and essay questions.  The final is not comprehensive.  In-class assignments are mainly pop quizzes on the assigned reading material for the day, but may include short discussion questions as well.  There are no make-ups for in-class assignments

 

Grades will be assigned on the following scale:

Scale:

92-100   A

78-79     C+

 

90-91     A-

70-77     C

 

88-89     B+

61-69     D

 

82-87     B

60        F

 

80-81     B-

 

 

Final grades will never be lower than those prescribed above as long as all work has been submitted.  There is no curve for individual assignments, but a curve on cumulative course grades is possible.

 

Course Schedule

History and Philosophy of Physics

1. Introduction

2. Data, Theories, and Metaphysics [V:Ratzsch]

3. Copernican Astronomy

A. Ancient Physics and Metaphysics [V:Plato]

B. The Geocentric Theory [V:Hawking, pages 15-29]

C. The Heliocentric Theory

4. Confirming Scientific Hypotheses [V:Hempel]

5. From Metaphysics to Classical Mechanics

A. Aristotelian Physics

Optional:

http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/aristotle-causality/

B. Newtonian Mechanics and the Mechanistic Worldview [V:Weinert, 9-14 & 20-22]

6. Laws of Nature [V: Loewer]

Reductionism [Optional: V:Boersema]

7. Relativity [V:Hawking, STR]

8. Realism, Anti-Realism, and Kuhn [Kuhn]

Optional:

http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/scientific-realism/

9. Quantum Theory [V:Greene]

The Evolution Debate

10. Basic Evolutionary Biology

A. Introduction to the Debate

B. Evo-Bio 101 [V:Kitcher]

11. The Creationist’s Challenge

[Koperski, “Creationism”]

Optional: [Laudan, “Science at the Bar”]

12. Intelligent Design

A. Irreducible Complexity [Behe

] & [Koperski-ACPQ pages 567-571]

B. Demarcation and the Dover Case

[V:Dover excerpt]

Optional: [Monton, Is Intelligent Design Science? Dissecting the Dover Decision]

[Jeffrey Koperski, “Two Bad Ways to Attack Intelligent Design and Two Good Ones”]

C. Arguments For and Against ID [Koperski-ACPQ pages 580-]

13. Self-Organization, Attractors, and Hopeful Monsters:  Friendly Critics of Orthodox Darwinism

[Stephen J. Gould, “Darwinian Fundamentalism”]

[Phillip Johnson, “The Gorbachev of Darwinism”]

 

Slides available in Vspace

 


Useful Links

http://www.iscid.org/encyclopedia/

http://www.meta-library.net/evoprov/index-frame.html

http://www.arn.org/

http://www.talkorigins.org, especially http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/anti-darwin.html

http://www.philosophy-compass.com

http://0-www.rep.routledge.com.library.svsu.edu/