8/27 |
intro |
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9/1 |
Defining science |
Okasha, ch. 1 ( 1-17); Thagard, “Why Astrology is a Pseudoscience” (on JSTOR)— rdng gd |
9/3 |
Induction |
Okasha, ch. 2, sel. ( 18-28); O’Hear, “Rationality of Action and Theory-Testing in Popper” (on JSTOR)— rdng gd |
9/8 |
Inference to the best explanation |
Okasha, ch. 2, sel. ( 29-33);
Harman, “The Inference to the Best Explanation” (on JSTOR), §I ( 88-91); Harman, “Enumerative Induction as Inference to the Best Explanation” (on JSTOR)— rdng gd |
9/10 |
Probability |
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9/15 |
Explanation and laws |
Okasha, ch. 3, sel. ( 40-48); Hempel and Oppenheim, “Studies in the Logic of Explanation” (on JSTOR), §§1-3 ( 135-140); §4 (140-146) also recommended— rdng gd |
9/17 |
Problems and alternatives |
Okasha, ch. 3, sel. ( 48-52); van Fraassen, “The Pragmatics of Explanation” (on JSTOR)— rdng gd |
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Explanation and reduction |
Okasha, ch. 3, sel. ( 52-57); Fodor, “Special Sciences” (on JSTOR)— rdng gd
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9/24 |
Theories and realism |
Okasha, ch. 4, sel. ( 58-66); Laudan, “Realism without the Real” (on JSTOR)
— rdng gd |
9/29 |
Observability |
Okasha, ch. 4, sel. ( 66-70); Creath, “The Pragmatics of Observation” (on JSTOR)— rdng gd |
10/1 |
Underdetermination |
Okasha, ch. 4, sel. ( 71-76); Laudan, “Grunbaum on ‘The Duhemian Argument’” (on JSTOR), ¶¶ 1-4 ( 295-296); W. V. Quine, “On Empirically Equivalent Systems of the World” (on JSTOR)— rdng gd |
10/6 |
Science seen historically |
Kuhn, §I-II and ps. §1 ( 1-22, 174-181)— rdng gd |
10/8 |
“Normal” science |
Kuhn, §§III-IV and ps. §2 ( 23-42, 181-187)— rdng gd |
10/13 |
Paradigms |
Kuhn, §V and ps. §3 ( 43-51, 187-191)— rdng gd |
| midsemester break |
10/20 |
Novelty |
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10/22 |
The end of normality |
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Revolution |
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10/29 |
A changed world |
Kuhn, §§X-XI and ps. §4 ( 111-143, 191-198)— rdng gd |
11/3 |
Changing scientists |
Kuhn, §XII and ps. §5 ( 144-159, 198-204)— rdng gd |
11/5 |
Scientific progress |
Kuhn, §XIII and ps. §§6-7 ( 160-173, 205-210)— rdng gd |
11/10 |
Newton’s absolute space |
Okasha, ch. 6, sel. ( 95-103)— rdng gd |
11/12 |
Space-time substantivalism |
John Norton, “The Hole Argument” (on JSTOR), §§1-3 ( 56-59)— rdng gd |
11/17 |
Uncertainty and explanation |
Hanson, “Uncertainty” (on JSTOR); Hanson, “On the Symmetry Between Explanation and Prediction” (on JSTOR)— rdng gd |
11/19 |
Uncaused correlations |
van Fraassen, “The Charybdis of Realism” (on JSTOR), §§1-2, §4 (1st and last ¶), §5 ( 25-28, 31, 35-36); Mermin, “Is the moon there when nobody looks?” (on EBSCO)— rdng gd |
| Thanksgiving break |
12/1 |
Classification |
Okasha, ch. 6, sel. ( 103-112)— rdng gd |
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The concept of species |
Ruse, “Biological Species: Natural Kinds, Individuals, or What?” (on JSTOR)— rdng gd |
12/8 |
Reductionism and biology |
Rosenberg, “Reductionism in a Historical Science” (on JSTOR), §§1-3 ( 135-147)— rdng gd |
12/10 |
Reductionism cont’d |
Rosenberg, “Reductionism in a Historical Science” (on JSTOR), §§4-6 ( 147-162)— rdng gd |
Fri
12/18 |
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