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Explain why evolution by natural selection is not a random process. What is meant by “random” in this context?
Explain the significance of each of the following phenomena in recent applications of the Likelihood Principle to the Design Hypothesis: vestigial organs; the panda’s thumb; the universality of the genetic code.
The primary component of explanations in physics and chemistry are universal laws and principles that are not restricted to particular places and times. Explain how and why explanations of evolutionary phenomena typically differ from those in physics and chemistry. You may want to use the extinction of dinosaurs as an example.
Can hypotheses about the cause of historical events be subjected to tests like those about the cause of contemporary phenomena? For example, an experiment cannot be done to determine whether an asteroid caused the extinction of dinosaurs. Does this mean that the hypothesis is untestable? Explain your answer using examples, either those from the readings and lecture or your own.
Given that certain evolutionary hypotheses, e.g., the impact hypothesis for the extinction of dinosaurs, cannot be made the subject of experiment and that experiments are the foundation of physical sciences, should evolutionary hypotheses be regarded as scientific?
What kinds of bridging principles (i.e., imaging theories or auxiliary principles) are used in testing the impact hypothesis for the extinction of dinosaurs? In what sense are they logically independent from the impact hypothesis? Why might logical independence of bridging principles be regarded as important?
How does Darwin’s use of biogeography in support of his evolutionary theory illustrate the importance of the internal virtues of explanatory cooperation and entrenchment?
Are evolutionary biology and creation science equally scientific in status? Critically discuss this issue in light of ideas about internal and external virtues of theories and of criteria for determining what counts as good science.
Should creation science be taught as part of the biology curriculum in schools and colleges? Why or why not?
How might Feyerabend answer this question?
How might Kosso answer this question?
How might adoption of an Aristotelian worldview affect philosophical conceptions about the existence of or qualities of human nature?
Intelligent design creationism is often presented as a scientific theory with standing comparable to Darwinian theory. Do you agree? Would you reach the same answer if you used the same criteria as Thagard used in evaluating astronomy?
Why is fruitfulness regarded as a virtue of scientific theories? Is it a guide to the truth? Ought it to be used as a criterion for choosing among competing scientific theories?