PHIL 380: Topics in Philosophy of Science

Winter 1999

Instructor: Jeffrey Koperski, Ph.D.

Phone 791-7751

E-mail: koperski@svsu.edu

 SVSU

Office: B351

Office Hours:

www.svsu.edu/~koperski

This course introduces students to the philosophy of the natural sciences. We examine some of the major topics in contemporary philosophy of science including confirmation, the relation between theory and observation, the demarcation between science and non-science, the realist-irrealist debate, and reductionism.

Texts: Robert Klee, Introduction to the Philosophy of Science (1997); Robert Klee (ed.), Scientific Inquiry: Readings in the Philosophy of Science (1999)

Assignments: 10% Test 1

15% Paper 1

15% Test 2

 15% Paper 2

20% Final Exam

 15% Class Presentations

10% Reading Quizzes

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.

Tentative Course Schedule

I. Introduction, Klee Intro and 1

II. Scientific Theories

    A. The Positivist View, Klee 2

        1. Alexander Rosenberg, "The Rise of Logical Positivism"

    B. Critique of the Positivist View, Klee 3

        1. Grover Maxwell, "Theoretical Entities"

        2. Recommended: Hilary Putnam, "Problems with the Observational/Theoretical Distinction"

III. Underdetermination of Theory by Data, Klee 4

    A. Pierre Duhem, "Physical Theory and Experiment"

    B. W.V. Quine, "Holism Part 1: Two Dogmas of Empiricism"

IV. Reductionism, Klee 5

    A. Jerry Fodor, "Special Sciences"

    B. Jaegwon Kim, "The Nature of Supervenience"

V. Scientific Explanations, Klee 6

VI. Thomas Kuhn and Scientific Revolutions,Klee 7

    A. Thomas Kuhn, "The Nature of Normal Science"

    B. Thomas Kuhn, "The Nature of Revolutionary Science"

VII. A Postmodern View of Science

    A. The Social Constructivist Challenge, Klee 8

    B. Recommended: Paul Boghossian, "The Sokal Hoax"

    C. The Feminist Critique of Science, Klee 9

        1. Sandra Harding, "Feminist Science Criticism"

        2. Cassandra Pinnick, "Problems with Feminist Epistemology"

VIII. The Realist-Antirealist Debate, Klee 10

    A. Bas van Fraassen, "Alternatives to Realism"

    B. James Robert Brown, "Realism, Antirealism, and NOA"

    C. Recommended: Alan Musgrave, "Idealism and Antirealism"