Philosophy of Science Dr. Ess

PHIL 377 - 3 credit hours Burnham 215

Burnham 210 Campus ext. 7230

email: profess@lib.drury.edu

Office hours: MWRF, 2:00-4:00 p.m.

or by appointment

Required Texts:

Additional readings, resources to be announced.

We will approach the philosophy of science from two perspectives.

The first is more general and historical, represented by Pine's text (reinforced by additional historical readings, including readings from the most influential philosophers, those from Alioto and others I've collected on the web site). The second is more technical and contemporary (at least modern), constituted by chapters from Kourany and largely contemporary articles and occasional books addressing specific topics in the philosophy of science (from Salmon, Boyd, and others.

By conjoining these two approaches, you will develop a better understanding of:

• the historical conditions under which "science" (originally, as an indistinguishable dimension of "philosophy") emerges;
• some of the fundamental assumptions and methodologies of what emerges as natural science, especially as these are shaped by religious and philosophical frameworks;
• the nature and epistemological status of scientific claims and theories (e.g., realist, instrumentalist, positivist, etc.), both over the history of science and in contemporary science (especially physics and mathematics, i.e. -- relativity theories, quantum mechanics, and chaos theory);
• the ontological status of entities referred to in scientific theory and claims ("potential," "electron," "virtual particle," etc.); and
• the possible ways of interweaving and relating philosophical, religious, and scientific claims in Western traditions (e.g., as either complementary and/or as oppositional and exclusive).

• the nature of scientific theory, confirmation, and the role of experiment;
• feminist, social constructivist, and postmodernist critiques of science - and responses;
• issues in causation and explanation; and
• issues in the philosophy of physics, biology, etc.

What joins these two approaches together - and forms the bridge from the first to the second - are precisely the philosophical issues raised in the opening historical section, especially issues and questions surrounding the fundamental assumptions and methodologies of natural science (assumptions which themselves cannot be "proven" by the methodologies of science), including assumptions concerning the epistemological and ontological status/meaning of scientific claims. That is, these assumptions, methodologies, and questions concerning epistemology and ontology constitute or relate to (most of) the points under debate in the second section on contemporary philosophy of science.

A singular advantage of this approach is that it not only provides you with a good understanding of the history of science - one that helps offset more popular misunderstandings and misconceptions of science and its origins (e.g., the Galileo affair): it also helps you see that contemporary debates, as rooted in and echoing issues familiar from the oldest "strata" of what becomes natural science, are not entirely novel. Rather, these debates seem to be an on-going element of science - and not, as some extreme contemporary critics would have it, grounds for rejecting science altogether.

In particular, we will see that the contemporary dualism between an epistemological relativism, on the one hand (supported by both religious fundamentalists and postmodernists) and an epistemological dogmatism on the other (attempted by positivists early in this century) arguably represents a false dilemma. In the (neither relativist nor dogmatic) middle grounds of late 20^th ct. science, rather, we find a complementary logic - one that further points to larger, more complementary (rather than dualist) relationships between science, religion, and philosophy.

You can make up the work for a missed class in one of several ways: a writing exercise on the day’s topics, a contribution to the class Web site, a report on an extra-curricular activity which helps us better understand topics at hand, or some alternative work which you and I will agree upon.

In my view, this class is (part of) your job. Employers do not pay employees for not showing up.

2. Writing assignments/in-class work. We will have several formal, take-home essay assignments and, because this is a seminar class, LOTS of in-class presentations on reading assignments. (For examples, see the web site)

The writing assignments and in-class presentations as a group will constitute approximately 85% of your grade. More specifically:

The assignments will be "weighted" -- that is, early work will count for a smaller percentage of your grade than later work.

The writing assignments are intended to both check your comprehension of class material and to encourage the development of your own thinking.

Writing assignments will be graded in light of content and minimal requirements for formal writing. These include: correct spelling and sentence structure; correct documentation of sources; good paragraph/paper organization. Excessive problems with formal writing requirements will result in the assignment being returned for rewriting before it is graded.

PLAGIARISM: Plagiarism is defined in one source as "the presentation of someone else's ideas or words as your own." Examples of plagiarism include:

While you may not intend to plagiarize, you do so when you neglect to use quote marks and/or to document the original sources of idea/s you have summarized or paraphrased.

The general shape is as follows. Choose a particular topic or issue to research. This can be anything having to do with philosophy of science - you might start with the overview of issues in the Salmon or Boyd texts to get an idea of the range of issues that are possible, including areas such as philosophy of biology, philosophy of social science, etc., which I have not initially planned to cover. As well, early on in the course, I will distribute an annotated bibliography which should give you some additional ideas regarding possible topics. You will likely have to do some preliminary reading to see if you're in fact interested in the topic you've initially chosen.

In any case, you will research and report on the equivalent of at least three articles and/or one book relating to your topic. You will then establish your position on the issue and defend it against opposing views.

You will present your project informally in class - in a 15-20 minute presentation which summarizes the issue, the arguments, and your position. You will also turn in the project in the form of a formal paper.

REMEMBER: the research project, like all other writing assignments, will be graded in light of content and minimal requirements for formal writing as outlined above. These include: correct spelling and sentence structure; correct documentation of sources; good paragraph/paper organization.

Since you will have no opportunity to redo your final project, MAKE VERY SURE that it meets these minimal requirements before you turn it in. The easiest way to do this is to have the folk at the Writing Center help you review your paper.

I grade each formal assignment on a 100 point scale (90-100 = A; 80-89 = B; 70-79 = C; 60-69 = D; below 60 = F). Usually I assign a letter grade, e.g., B+ (= 87.5), C (= 75), A- (= 92.5), etc. In addition, each assignment is given a certain "weight" -- i.e., a percentage figure which reflects its importance in the course. For example, the first writing assignment may count as 5% of your total grade. Your grade on that assignment is then multiplied by the percentage figure, resulting in a certain number of points.

For example, if you get a "B" (= 85) on the first writing assignment, and if that assignment is worth 5%, the point total would be (85 X .05) = 4.25.

If you are not satisfied with a grade on either a major writing assignment or exam, please discuss it with me. ON THE FIRST FORMAL WRITING ASSIGNMENT ONLY, you are welcome to improve your grade by rewriting. The rewrite must be turned in within ONE WEEK of the date the original assignment was returned to you.

3. Class participation. About 15% of your final grade will depend on class participation. Class participation includes asking questions, commenting on current topics, and becoming involved in discussion.

You will note that this means that good class participation can make the difference between a "C" and a "B+" - or an "A" and an "B-."

Class discussion and participation will be guided by the following GROUNDRULES:

4. Final Grade

At the end of the semester, the point totals for all the assignments and your class participation grade are then added up to determine your final grade (less any deductions necessary because of excessive absences).

I keep a running record of your grades, and it is easy to calculate your current average. Please feel free to ask me about your current grade average at any point through the semester. As well, as a way of keeping you informed regarding your grade, I will pass out grade slips to you two or three times through the course of the semester. These, in addition to your midterm grades from the registrar's office, should give you a very accurate idea of your progress in the class.

Additional Texts: