Phi 109—Perspectives on Philosophy: Philosophy of Social Science
Spring 2016—Glen Helman
Instructor: Glen Helman, Assoc. Prof. of Philosophy and Acting Chair
E-mail: helmang@wabash.edu
Office: Center 311, (765) 361-6334
My posted hours currently are 3:10-4:10 on M and 1:10-2:00 on F (but this can change). I usually arrive on campus between 8 and 10 and leave between 4 and 6, and you stand a good chance of finding me in my office whenever I am not teaching. My other classes meet at 10 and 2:10 MWF. (While I am in my office most noon hours, the noon hour is also a common time for meetings and other events, as is the afternoon after 4.)
Home: 314 W. Wabash Ave., (765) 362-0428
This is your best bet evenings and weekends, but try my office too.
Cell phone: (765) 366-0791
Texts
On the web:
Daniel C. Dennett, “Real Patterns,” The Journal of Philosophy, vol. 88 (1991), pp. 27-51 (on JSTOR at 2027085).
Ronald Philip Dore, “Function and Cause,” American Sociological Review, vol. 26 (1961), pp. 843-853 (on JSTOR at 2090569).
William Dray, “Explanatory Narrative in History,” The Philosophical Quarterly, vol. 4 (1954), pp. 15-27 (on JSTOR at 2217274).
Allan Gibbard and Hal R. Varian, “Economic Models,” The Journal of Philosophy, vol. 75 (1978), pp. 664-677 (on JSTOR at 2025484).
Carl G. Hempel, “The Function of General Laws in History,” The Journal of Philosophy, vol. 39 (1942), pp. 35-48 (on JSTOR at 2017635).
Steven Lukes, “Methodological Individualism Reconsidered,” The British Journal of Sociology, vol. 19 (1968), pp. 119-129 (on JSTOR at 588689).
Robert Sugden, “The Changing Relationship between Theory and Experiment in Economics,” Philosophy of Science, vol. 75 (2008), pp. 621-632 (on JSTOR at 10.1086/594509).
Charles Taylor, “Understanding in Human Science,” The Review of Metaphysics, vol. 34 (1980), pp. 25-38 (on JSTOR at 20127456).
Peter Winch, “Understanding a Primitive Society,” American Philosophical Quarterly, vol. 1 (1964), pp. 307-324 (on JSTOR at 20009143).
Handout (also available on the website and Canvas):
John Stuart Mill, A System Of Logic, book VI, chs. 1-3, 6 (8th ed., vol. 2, pp. 415-435, 464-468)—handout: 1up PDF, 2up PDF, booklet PDF
Grading
Requirements: (1) Three papers. Two short papers (the first paper 600-900 words and the second paper 900-1200 words) on topics arising from the texts you read; in both cases, I will suggest the form of the paper but you will have substantial freedom in choosing the topic. A longer paper (1500-1800 words) developing your own views on a topic related to what you have read. (2) Attendance and participation in class (which will include submission of questions for class discussion). Your final grade will be based on these in the following way: 15%, 25%, and 35% for the papers and 25% for class participation.
Attendance and due dates: As part of my evaluation of your participation, I will be keeping a record of your attendance. You will be automatically excused if you notify me in advance that you will miss a class (e-mail or voice-mail messages are fine). After the fact, I will expect you to have a good reason. Due dates for the papers are subject to negotiation. I set default due dates for the class (3/31, 4/14, and 5/6, respectively, for the three papers), but I am willing to set individual due dates (within reason) for those who find those inconvenient. My policy on missed deadlines is similar to that on missed classes: I’ll re-negotiate the deadline (again within reason) if I hear in advance; but after the fact, I’ll expect you to have a good reason. Unexcused missed deadlines will have an effect on your participation grade.
Calendar
Detailed calendar. The assignments below are approximate and tentative. Sometimes a reading-guide handout will specify the details of an assignment, and it may include passages that are part of your assignment.
| 3/15 | Mill | sels. from A System Of Logic (book VI, chs. 1-3, 6; 8th ed., vol. 2, pp. 415-435, 464-468)—handout (1up PDF, 2up PDF, booklet PDF)—reading guide |
| 3/17 | Hempel | “The Function of General Laws in History”—on JSTOR at 2017635 |
| 3/22 | Dray | “Explanatory Narrative in History”—on JSTOR at 2217274 |
| 3/24 | Taylor | “Understanding in Human Science”—on JSTOR at 20127456 |
| 3/29 | Winch | “Understanding a Primitive Society,” §I (pp. 307-315)—on JSTOR at 20009143 |
| 3/31 | ibid., §II (pp. 315-324)—on JSTOR at 20009143 (paper 1 due) | |
| 4/5 | Dore | “Function and Cause”—on JSTOR at 2090569 |
| 4/7 | Lukes | “Methodological Individualism Reconsidered”—on JSTOR at 588689 |
| 4/12 | Dennett | “Real Patterns,” §§I-II, pp. 27-37—on JSTOR at 2027085 |
| 4/14 | ibid., §§III-IV, pp. 37-51—on JSTOR at 2027085 (paper 2 due) | |
| 4/19 | Gibbard/Varian | “Economic Models”—on JSTOR at 2025484 |
| 4/21 | Sugden | “The Changing Relationship between Theory and Experiment in Economics”—on JSTOR at 10.1086/594509 |
| 4/26 | TBD | TBD |
| 4/28 | TBD | |
| 5/6 | Fri | (paper 3 due) |