Phil 492/Biol 492: Philosophy of Science, Spring 2004

Class-by-Class Schedule: complete schedule is forthcoming

(Additions or changes will always be announced via e-mail–please check your e-mail often for such changes and for other important seminar-related announcements)

Course Introduction
F, 1/9: Introduction
   What’s it all about?
M, 1/12: Establishing course parameters:
   Rosenberg, chapter 1
   What is Philosophy?
   What is Science?
    Why a "philosophy" of science?
   Select paper dates in class

Aristotelian Science
W, 1/14: Losee, chapter 1
F, 1/16: Aristotle, readings attached to syllabus

M, 1/19: No Classes: Martin Luther King, Jr., Day
W, 1/20: Aristotle, readings attached to syllabus

Pythagorean Mathematics and Science, and Atomism
M, 1/26: Losee, chapters 2 and 4

Deduction and Deductive Method
W, 1/28: Losee, chapter 3
    Rosenberg, chapter 2

Saving Appearances: The Middle Ages and Renaissance
F, 1/30: Lossee, chapters 5 and 6
    Rosenberg, chapter 4

M, 2/2: Lossee, chapters 5 and 6
    Rosenberg, chapter 4
W, 2/4: Lossee, chapter 7
    Rosenberg, chapter 5
F, 2/6: Lossee, chapter 7

M, 2/9: Lossee, chapter 9
W, 2/11: Lossee, chapter 10

The Galileo Affair (handouts are forthcoming)
F, 2/13: E.A. Burtt, "Galileo" (handout)

M, 2/16: No Classes: Presidents’ Day
W, 2/18: Read Galileo’s Considerations on the Copernican Opinion (1615)
    http://www.marxists.org/reference/subject/philosophy/works/it/galileo.htm
    Read Robert Bellarmine’s letter on Galileo (1615)
    http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1615bellarmine-letter.html
    Read Galileo’s letter to the Grand Duchess (1615)
    http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/galileo-tuscany.html
    Read T.R. Girill, "Galileo and Platonistic Methodology," Journal of the     History of Ideas 31.4 (Oct-Dec 1970): 501-520 (handout)

F, 2/20: Leonardo Olschiki, "Galileo’s Philosophy of Science," The Philosophical Review 52.4    (July 1943): 349-365 (handout)
    
M, 2/23: Longer Paper Discussion: Brandon Geck
    Be prepared to discuss and wrangle
W, 2/25: Longer Paper Discussion: Dan Miller
    Be prepared to discuss and wrangle
F, 2/27: Longer Paper Discussion: Cari Drake
    Be prepared to discuss and wrangle
    Essay One Due

M, 3/1: John Milton, Areopagitica (1644) (handout)
W, 3/3: Longer Paper Discussion: Judy Andrews
    Be prepared to discuss and wrangle
    Book Reviews Due
F, 3/5: Longer Paper Discussion: Ken Fisher
    Be prepared to discuss and wrangle

M, 3/8-F, 3/12: No Classes: Spring Break

Though we do not have enough time to go through Popper, Kuhn, and Feyerabend in their entirety in seminar meetings, it is important that you read through their entire texts. This will assist not only in class discussion but in the writing of the second essay and the final examination.

M, 3/8-F, 3/12: No Classes: Spring Break

M, 3/15: John Milton, Areopagitica

W, 3/17: Read the Introduction, 3-39, in Popper’s Conjectures and Refutations 
   Read Losee, chapter 11
F, 3/19: Longer Paper Discussion: Tony Mraz
   Be prepared to discuss and wrangle

M, 3/22: Longer Paper Discussion: Lisa Krugh
   Be prepared to discuss and wrangle
W, 3/24: Longer Paper Discussion: Matt Bauman
   Be prepared to discuss and wrangle
F, 3/26: Longer Paper Discussion: Cachelle Cronin
   Be prepared to discuss and wrangle

M, 3/29: Longer Paper Discussion: Kyra Richendifer
   Be prepared to discuss and wrangle
W, 3/31: Longer Paper Discussion: Riston Haugen
   Be prepared to discuss and wrangle
F, 4/2: Open Class, TBA

M, 4/5: Popper, 43-78
W, 4/7: Longer Paper Discussion: Lisa Woodworth
   Be prepared to discuss and wrangle
F, 4/9: No Classes: Good Friday

M, 4/12: No Classes: Easter Holiday
W, 4/14: Popper, 130-182

Feminist Philosophy of Science and Other Contemporary Issues
F, 4/16: Handouts to come

Kuhn and Scientific Revolutions
M, 4/19: Kuhn, preface, chapters 1-5
    Read Losee, chapter 14
W, 4/21: Kuhn, chapters 6-9
    Please attend the Black Hills Research Symposium sessions in the Student Union Jacket Legacy Room
F, 4/23: Kuhn, chapters 10-13 and the postscript
    **Essay Two Due
    upload to turnitin.com by 4pm

Anarchist Philosophy of Science
M, 4/26: Feyerabend, Against Method, Introduction, chapters 1-6
    Read Losee, chapter 13
W, 4/28: Feyerabend, chapters 7-11
F, 4/30: Feyerabend, chapters 12-15 and Appendices

Final Examination: Thursday, May 6, 11:30-1:00 in Jonas 101 (you may use the computers to write the final examination if you wish)–this will be an in-class examination, but you will receive the questions on April 30; all questions will deal with general issues from the entire course and with specific issues related to Feyerabend