PHILOS 122: Topics in Philosophy of Science (Science & Reality)
PHILOS 122: Topics in Philosophy of Science: Science & Reality
Spring 2024
Lecture: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 11:00AM-12:15PM, Public Affairs Building, Room 2232
Discussion Section A: Mondays, 1:00-1:50PM Dodd Hall, Room 178
Discussion Section B: Wednesdays, 2:00-2:50PM Dodd Hall, Room 178
For information about learning objectives and grading, click here.
For information on academic integrity; accessibility; assault, harassment, and discrimination; student services; basic needs and food resources; LGBTQIA resources; mental health; and undergraduate writing resources, please click here.
Schedule of Readings and Assignments
I. The No Miracles Argument
April 2. Introductions. Chakravartty, Anjan, "Scientific Realism", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Summer 2017 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), URL = <https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/sum2017/entries/scientific-realism/>. You only need to read Sections 1 and 2.
[HANDOUT] [PPT]
April 4. Cancelled
April 9. Musgrave, Alan (2006), “The ‘miracle argument’ for scientific realism”, Rutherford Journal 2. [HANDOUT] [PPT]
April 11. Frost-Arnold, Greg (2010), “The no-miracles argument for realism: inference to an unacceptable explanation”, Philosophy of Science 77 (1): 35-58. [PPT] [HANDOUT]
II. The Pessimistic Induction & Selective Realism
April 16. Laudan, Larry (1981), “A confutation of convergent realism”, Philosophy of Science 48 (1):19-49. [PPT] [HANDOUT]
April 18. Worrall, John (1989), “Structural realism: the best of both worlds?”, Dialectica 43 (1-2):99-124. [PPT] [HANDOUT]
April 23. Psillos, Stathis (1996), “Scientific realism and the ‘pessimistic induction’”, Philosophy of Science 63: S306-S314. [PPT] [HANDOUT]
April 25. Stanford, P. Kyle (2003), “No refuge for realism: selective confirmation and the history of science”, Philosophy of Science 70 (5): 913-925. [PPT] [HANDOUT]
April 30. Discussion Day
III. Antirealism
May 2. Kuhn, Thomas. (1970). “Revolutions as Changes in World View” in Structure of Scientific Revolutions. [PPT] [HANDOUT] [ZOOM LINK] [RECORDING] Passcode for recording is: hQ2vC^B!
May 5. Assignment 1 due by 11:59PM
May 7. Boghossian, Paul. (2001) “Constructing the facts” and “Relativizing the facts” in Fear of Knowledge. [PPT] [HANDOUT] [ZOOM LINK] [RECORDING] Passcode is xm63ek*m
May 9. Maxwell, Grover. (1962), “The ontological status of theoretical entities”, in Herbert Feigl and Grover Maxwell (eds.), Scientific explanation, space, and time, Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 3-27. [PPT] [HANDOUT] [RECORDING; passcode is t%%R?7SR]
May 14. van Fraassen, B. C. (1980), “Arguments concerning scientific realism” in The scientific image. New York: Clarendon Press; reprinted in Curd, Martin, and J. A. Cover (1998), Philosophy of science: the central issues. 1st ed. New York: W.W. Norton. Skip Sections 5 and 7. [PPT] [HANDOUT] [RECORDING Passcode: psL?z#1z]
May 16. CLASS CANCELLED (illness). Churchland, P. M. (1985), “The ontological status of observables: in praise of the superempirical virtues”, in P.M Churchland and C.A. Hooker (eds.), Images of Science: Essays on Realism and Empiricism, with a Reply from Bas C. Van Fraassen, Chicago: University of Chicago Press, pp. 35-47. Also read Van Fraassen’s reply (pp. 256-259). [PPT] [HANDOUT]
May 21. Discussion Day
IV.
Overcoming the Realism Debate?
May 23. Chakravartty, Anjan. (2011), “A puzzle about voluntarism about rational epistemic stances.” Synthese 178 (1): 37-48. [PPT] [HANDOUT]
May 24. Assignment 2 due by 11:59PM
May 28. van der Merwe, Ragnar. 2022. "Stance Pluralism, Scientology, and the Problem of Relativism." Foundations of Science. [PPT] [HANDOUT]
May 30. Fine, Arthur (1984), “The natural ontological attitude”, in Jarrett Leplin (ed.), Scientific Realism, Berkeley: University of California Press, 83-107. [PPT] [HANDOUT]
June 4. Read the prompt for the final including the blueprint for tiebreakers. We will discuss how to outline a tiebreaker in class. Also read this announcement to make sure that you're clear about how you'd like to complete this course.
June 6. Discussion Day
June 12. Final due at 11:59PM
Spring 2024
Lecture: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 11:00AM-12:15PM, Public Affairs Building, Room 2232
Discussion Section A: Mondays, 1:00-1:50PM Dodd Hall, Room 178
Discussion Section B: Wednesdays, 2:00-2:50PM Dodd Hall, Room 178
For information about learning objectives and grading, click here.
For information on academic integrity; accessibility; assault, harassment, and discrimination; student services; basic needs and food resources; LGBTQIA resources; mental health; and undergraduate writing resources, please click here.
Schedule of Readings and Assignments
I. The No Miracles Argument
April 2. Introductions. Chakravartty, Anjan, "Scientific Realism", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Summer 2017 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), URL = <https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/sum2017/entries/scientific-realism/>. You only need to read Sections 1 and 2.
[HANDOUT] [PPT]
April 4. Cancelled
April 9. Musgrave, Alan (2006), “The ‘miracle argument’ for scientific realism”, Rutherford Journal 2. [HANDOUT] [PPT]
April 11. Frost-Arnold, Greg (2010), “The no-miracles argument for realism: inference to an unacceptable explanation”, Philosophy of Science 77 (1): 35-58. [PPT] [HANDOUT]
II. The Pessimistic Induction & Selective Realism
April 16. Laudan, Larry (1981), “A confutation of convergent realism”, Philosophy of Science 48 (1):19-49. [PPT] [HANDOUT]
April 18. Worrall, John (1989), “Structural realism: the best of both worlds?”, Dialectica 43 (1-2):99-124. [PPT] [HANDOUT]
April 23. Psillos, Stathis (1996), “Scientific realism and the ‘pessimistic induction’”, Philosophy of Science 63: S306-S314. [PPT] [HANDOUT]
April 25. Stanford, P. Kyle (2003), “No refuge for realism: selective confirmation and the history of science”, Philosophy of Science 70 (5): 913-925. [PPT] [HANDOUT]
April 30. Discussion Day
III. Antirealism
May 2. Kuhn, Thomas. (1970). “Revolutions as Changes in World View” in Structure of Scientific Revolutions. [PPT] [HANDOUT] [ZOOM LINK] [RECORDING] Passcode for recording is: hQ2vC^B!
May 5. Assignment 1 due by 11:59PM
May 7. Boghossian, Paul. (2001) “Constructing the facts” and “Relativizing the facts” in Fear of Knowledge. [PPT] [HANDOUT] [ZOOM LINK] [RECORDING] Passcode is xm63ek*m
May 9. Maxwell, Grover. (1962), “The ontological status of theoretical entities”, in Herbert Feigl and Grover Maxwell (eds.), Scientific explanation, space, and time, Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 3-27. [PPT] [HANDOUT] [RECORDING; passcode is t%%R?7SR]
May 14. van Fraassen, B. C. (1980), “Arguments concerning scientific realism” in The scientific image. New York: Clarendon Press; reprinted in Curd, Martin, and J. A. Cover (1998), Philosophy of science: the central issues. 1st ed. New York: W.W. Norton. Skip Sections 5 and 7. [PPT] [HANDOUT] [RECORDING Passcode: psL?z#1z]
May 16. CLASS CANCELLED (illness). Churchland, P. M. (1985), “The ontological status of observables: in praise of the superempirical virtues”, in P.M Churchland and C.A. Hooker (eds.), Images of Science: Essays on Realism and Empiricism, with a Reply from Bas C. Van Fraassen, Chicago: University of Chicago Press, pp. 35-47. Also read Van Fraassen’s reply (pp. 256-259). [PPT] [HANDOUT]
May 21. Discussion Day
IV.
Overcoming the Realism Debate?
May 23. Chakravartty, Anjan. (2011), “A puzzle about voluntarism about rational epistemic stances.” Synthese 178 (1): 37-48. [PPT] [HANDOUT]
May 24. Assignment 2 due by 11:59PM
May 28. van der Merwe, Ragnar. 2022. "Stance Pluralism, Scientology, and the Problem of Relativism." Foundations of Science. [PPT] [HANDOUT]
May 30. Fine, Arthur (1984), “The natural ontological attitude”, in Jarrett Leplin (ed.), Scientific Realism, Berkeley: University of California Press, 83-107. [PPT] [HANDOUT]
June 4. Read the prompt for the final including the blueprint for tiebreakers. We will discuss how to outline a tiebreaker in class. Also read this announcement to make sure that you're clear about how you'd like to complete this course.
June 6. Discussion Day
June 12. Final due at 11:59PM