PHIL 5460PHILOSOPHY of SCIENCE Fall 2015

PHIL 5460PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE Fall 2015

Mr Humphreys MW 2-3:15

OH M 11-11:50

W 9-950, 11-11:50

This purpose of this seminar is to ensure a firm grounding in many of the core areas of contemporary philosophy of science, and to acquaint you with recent developments in the area.Many of the readings are taken from a forthcoming handbook on the philosophy of science that is designed to provide both an overview of various areas in the field and to assess recent developments. The other readings are classic sources that have changed the direction of research in the area. They thus serve both as essential reading and as models for philosophical research. All readings are available at the course Collab site.

The prerequisite for the course is at least one of the following: a) PHIL 2450 (Philosophy of Science), b) an upper division metaphysics, epistemology, or logic course, or c) graduate standing. If you do not satisfy this prerequisite but want to take the course, please contact the instructor.

Course Requirements. Each student will be expected to write a 2000 word midterm paper, due Monday October 19, and a 4000 word final paper, due Monday December 14th. The final paper must be on a different topic from the midterm paper and the topics for both papers must be chosen from one of the five topics listed below.

Prolog. Naturalism

Francesco Guala: The Philosophy of the Social Sciences.

Topic 1. Empiricism

van Fraassen The Scientific Image, Chapter 2.

`Empiricism and After’ James Bogen.

`Saving the Phenomena’ James Bogen and James Woodward.

`Data’ Aidan Lyon

Topic 2. Reduction

`Reduction’ Andreas Hutteman and Alan Love

`Nagel on Reduction’, Kenneth Schaffner.

Jerry Fodor, `Special Sciences, or the Disunity of Science as a Working Hypothesis’.

Jaegwon Kim `Making Sense of Emergence’

`Neuroscience’ Adina Roskies and Carl Craver

Topic 3. Causation and Explanation

`Theories and Models’ Margaret Morrison

`Laws of Nature’ John Roberts.

`Causation in Science’ James Woodward

`Explanation’ Brad Skow

`Science-Driven Mathematical Explanation’, Alan Baker.

Topic 4. Scientific Realism and Anti-Realism

Rudolf Carnap `Empiricism, Semantics, and Ontology’.

`Two Dogmas of Empiricism’ W.V.O. Quine

`Realism and Anti-Realism; Metaphysics and Empiricism’, Anjan Chakravartty

`Instrumentalism’, Kyle Stanford

`Natural Kinds’ Muhammad Ali Khalidi

`Epistemology and the Philosophy of Science `Otavio Bueno

Topic 5 Student Interests

Readings TBD