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1. W Jan 23. Introduction to the Course.
2. F Jan. 25. Theories. Kosso BN Chap. 1; Carnap, “Theories
and Unobservables”(Reserve, CP).
Study Guide 1
3. M Jan. 28. Testing Theories. Popper, “Conjectures and Refutation(Reserve, CP); Sober “Deductive Arguments” (Reserve); Kosso BN Chapt. 4. “Confirmation” pp. 69-78.
4. W Jan. 30. Testing Theories cont.
5. F Feb. 1. Logical Limits of Testing. Kosso BN Chapt. 4 pp. 78-86;
Sober “Induction and Abduction”(Reserve).
Study Guide 2
6. M Feb. 4. Theory Choice by Other Means. Kosso BN Chapt. 2.
7. W Feb. 6. The Underdetermination Problem. Kosso BN Chapt. 5 pp. 87-92.
8. F Feb. 8. The structure of evolutionary theory. Pp.1-15 in Richards;
Sections 1.1-1.3 in Sober, “What is Evolutionary Theory” (reserve)
Study Guide 3
9. M Feb. 11. The structure of evolutionary theory (continued). Pp.
15-24 in Richards; Sections 1.5-1.7 in Sober “What is Evolutionary Theory”
(reserve)
Homework assignment #1 due
10. W Feb. 13. Natural selection and the charge of tautology. Sections 3.1-3.4 in Sober “Fitness” (Reserve)
11. F Feb. 15. Historical explanation: general principles. Pp. 231-243 in Hempel, "General Laws in History", from Aspects of Scientific Explanation; Section 1.4 in Sober “What Is Evolutionary Theory”. (all on reserve)
12. M Feb. 18. Historical explanation: extinction of the dinosaurs. Pp. 647—658 in Ridley, "Mass Extinctions", from Evolution (on reserve)
13. W Feb. 20. Creationism and natural theology. Pp. 26-29 in Richards; Sober, “Creationism”,Sec. 2.1-2.3 (Reserve, CP)
14. F Feb. 22. Creationism and intelligent design. Sections 2.4-2.8 in Sober “Creationism”; Arnhart, “Evolution and the new creationism: a proposal for compromise”; Rosenhouse, “The design detectives”. (both on Reserve, CP)
15. M Feb. 25. Two views of Science. Allchin, “Points East and
West: A Comparative Philosophy of Science” (Reserve, CP)
Study Guide 4
16. W Feb. 27. Understanding Realism and Empiricism.. Kosso pp. 92-102.
17. F Mar. 1. Two Arguments for and against Realism and Empiricism
18. M Mar. 4. Observation and Objectivity. Kosso pp. 102-104; Chapt.
6; Hanson “Observation” (reserve, CP)
Homework assignment #2 due
19. W Mar. 6. Observation and Independence. Kosso pp. 155-158, Chapt. 9.
20. F Mar. 8. Paradigms and Normal Science. Kuhn, “Selections from the Structure of Scientific Revolutions” pp. 237-247. (reserve, CP)
21. M Mar. 11. Scientific Revolutions. Kuhn, “Selections from the Structure of Scientific Revolutions, pp. 247-258 and the part by Kuhn “Revolutions as Changes of World View”.
(Reserve, CP)
23. F Mar. 15 A Philosophy of Science. Ellis, Chapt. 1,2.
24. M Mar. 25. Paradigms in Physics. Ellis Chapt. 3.
Study Guide 5
25. W Mar. 27. The Origin of the Universe. Ellis, Chapt. 5
Homework Assignment #3 (initially due)
26. F Mar. 29. The End of the Universe.
27. M Apr. 1. Limits of Knowledge. Ellis, Chapt. 6
Homework Assignment #3 (final due date)
Study Guide 6
28. W Apr. 3. The Problem of Initial Conditions and the Anthropic Principles. Ellis, Chapt. 7
29. F Apr. 5. Constucting a World-View. Ellis, Chapt. 8 pp.102-110.
31. W Apr. 10. The logic of reductionism and the
unity of science. Rosenberg, “Motives for reductionism” (reserve)
Study Guide 7
32. F Apr. 12. Hemoglobin and molecular biology. Rosenberg, “A triumph of reductionism” (reserve)
33. M Apr. 15. The Mendelian paradigm. Rosenberg, “Mendel’s genes and Benzer’s cistrons” (reserve)
34. W Apr. 17. The paradigm of molecular genetics. Rosenberg, “Reduction obstructed” (reserve)
35. F Apr. 19. Degrees of Darwinism. Pp. 51-66 in Richards
Homework Assignment #4 due
36. M Apr. 22. The evolutionary psychology of sex. Pp. 67-86 in Richards
Study Guide 8
37. W Apr. 24. Biological determinism. Pp. 100-125 in Richards
38. F Apr. 26. The evolution of altruism. Pp. 154-166 in Richards
39. M Apr. 29. The evolutionary psychology of altruism. Pp. 166-183 in Richards.
40. W May 1. Ethics in a Darwinian world. Pp. 184-195 in Richards.
41. F May 3. Prospects for an Environmental ethic. Leopold, “The land ethic”; Sober, “Philosophical problems for environmentalism” (Reserve)
42. M May 6. Science & religious belief. Haught, “Is religion
opposed to science?” (Reserve,CP)
Study Guide 9
Homework Assignment #5 due
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