Science 240 Fall 1998

The Nature Of Scientific Thought

IV. Evolutionary Theory and the Nature of Science (Prof. Holsinger)

Fri. 11/13 through Mon. 12/14

30. Fri 11/13. The Structure of Evolutionary Theory. Sections 1.1-1.5 in Sober.
31. Mon 11/16 Creationism. Sections 2.1-2.7 in Sober.
    Paper #3 Due
32. Wed 11/18 Domains of Knowledge. Section 2.8 in Sober, "Nonoverlapping magisteria" by Stephen Jay Gould, from Natural History (March 1997, pp. 16-22,60-62; on reserve)
33. Fri 11/20 Natural Selection and the Charge of Tautology. Sections 3.1-3.4 in Sober.
34. Mon 11/23 The Units of Evolution. Sections 4.1-4.6 in Sober.
35. Wed 11/25. The Origin of Species. Chapter 2 in Dennett, Darwin's Dangerous Idea (on reserve)
36. Mon 11/30. The Origin of Order. Chapter 3 in Dennett, Darwin's Dangerous Idea (on reserve).
37. 37. Wed 12/2. The Nature of Constraints. Chapters 5 and 6 in Dennett, Darwin's Dangerous Idea (on reserve).
38. Fri 12/4. The Nature of Adaptation. Sections 5.1-5.4 in Sober.
39. Mon 12/7. Explanation of Historical Events: General Principles. pp. 231-243 in Hempel,Aspects of Scientific Explanations (on reserve).
40. Wed 12/9 Explanation of Historical Events: Extinction of the Dinosaurs. pp. 647-658 in Ridley, Evolution (on reserve).
41. Fri 12/11 Biological Determinism. Sections 7.1-7.2 in Sober.
42. Mon 12/14 Cultural Evolution and Sociobiology. Sections 7.3-7.5 in Sober.
    Paper #4 Due