PHILOSOPHY 1400 (010)

“Philosophy and the Sciences”

(Fall Semester 2004)

 

                                                                                                                                                Time:    MWF 11:00-11:50

                                                                                                                                                Room:  EDU 155

 

Professor:                     Carol Cleland

Office:                          HLMS 282 (EXT 2-7619)

Office Hours:                M 12-1:00 p.m., W 9:00-10:00 a.m. & by appointment

 

Required Books:

 

Schick, Readings in the Philosophy of Science.

Miller, Finding Darwin’s God.

Powell, Night Comes to the Cretaceous.

 

Requirements:

 

1.         Reading Assignments:  You are responsible for having read and thought about the assigned material before coming to class. Philosophy is not easy; this process may take several hours.

 

2.                  Evaluation:

 

a.         There will be 2 short paper assignments (Sept. 6 & Nov. 1). The short papers should be 2-3 pages long (typed, double-spaced, normal font), and are due the following Friday. They are worth approximately 30% of your grade.

 

b.         There will be 2 in-class quizzes (Oct 4 & Nov. 29). They will consist of one essay question and you will have 25 minutes to answer it.  They are worth approximately 30% of your grade.

 

c.         Final Exam or Term Paper option (but not both): 

 

The final exam will be held in this room on Monday, Dec. 13, from 1:30 a.m-4:00 p.m. The final exam is designed to be completed in 2 hours and will consist of essay questions like those on the quizzes. It is worth approximately 40% of your grade.

 

Final papers must be 7-10 pages in length (normal font, double-spaced, typed). Topics must be cleared with me by November 19; anyone who fails to do this automatically defaults to taking the final exam. Final papers are due no latter than the end of the first hour of the final exam. It is worth approximately 40% of your grade.

 

Note: I do not automatically give make-up exams or accept late papers. If you believe that you have a good excuse, see me ahead of time. After the due date has passed, I will need a note from a physician or Dean.

 

d.         Regular attendance, knowledgeable participation in class discussions, and improvement in performance over the course of the semester will be used to determine grades in borderline cases, which frequently occur!

 

Course Description:

 

The subject of this course is science. The purpose of the course is to introduce you to contemporary philosophical thought about the nature of science. We will focus on questions such as the following: What is the “scientific method", and does it differ from other methods for obtaining knowledge?; What (if anything) distinguishes “real” science (e.g., physics, biology) from “pseudo science” (e.g., creationism, astrology)?; Do theoretical entities such as electrons and genes really exist?; In what sense can science be said to make progress?; Is scientific knowledge objective? We will discuss these issues in the context of some contemporary scientific debates, e.g., the hypothesis that the impact of a giant meteor wiped out the dinosaurs, the hypothesis that a meteorite discovered in Antarctica contains fossilized martian life. We will also investigate some hot topics such as the creation/evolution debate and the status of sociobiology.