PHILOSOPHY 1400 (100)

"Philosophy and the Sciences"

(Fall Semester 2011)

 

                                                            Time:   MW 11:00-11:50 AM

                                                            Room:  HUMN 150

 

Professor:                     Carol Cleland (with TAs Nicholas Casalbore, Spencer Case, Addison Ellis, and Ben Rohrs)

Office:                         HLMS 282 (EXT 2-7619)

Office Hours:               MW 3-4 pm, F 12-1 pm, & by appointment

 

Required Books:

 

Schick, Readings in the Philosophy of Science.

Collins, The Language of God.

Selected Readings on my web page (PHIL 1400, "Additional Materials and Links"):   

 

            http://spot.colorado.edu/%7Ecleland/currentCourses.html

 

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.  "Study Questions" (see above link) will accompany most readings. Their purpose is to help you learn to read philosophy and to think philosophically.  Exams will be based upon these questions. 

 

2.              Evaluation:

 

a. 3 Short papers and 3 quizzes:

 

            1. Short papers:  Topics will be assigned in your section one week before they are due. Short papers should be 2-3 pages long (typed, double-spaced, normal font). They are worth approximately 30% of your grade.  Paper topics will be assigned on Sept 2 (due Sept 9), Oct 7 (due Oct 14), and Nov. 11 (due Nov. 18).

           

       2. Quizzes: Administered in your section.  They will consist of one essay question. You will have 25 minutes to answer it.  They are worth approximately 30% of your grade.  Quizzes will be given on Sept 23, Oct 28, and Dec 2.            

 

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

 

1.Final Exam:  Administered in this room on Tuesday, Dec. 13 from 7:30-10 PM. 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.

 

2.Term paper:  7-10 pages (normal font, double-spaced, typed). Topics must be cleared with your TA by Friday, Nov. 18; anyone who fails to do this automatically defaults to taking the final exam. Final papers are due no latter thanthe 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, talk to your TA before the assignment is due. After the due date has passed, you will need a note from a physician or dean.

 

c. Borderline grades:  Improvement over the course of the semester, and regular attendance and participation in discussion sections will be used to determine grades in borderline cases, which frequently occur!

 

Course Description:

 

The subject of this course is science. Its purpose is to introduce you to contemporary philosophical thought about the nature of science in the context of actual examples from science (both historical and contemporary).  We will explore questions such as the following: What is the "scientific method", and does it differ from other methods for obtaining knowledge? In what sense can science be said to make progress? Is scientific knowledge objective? Does observation provide a truly neutral court of appeal for deciding between competing scientific hypotheses and theories? Is there a single scientific method for all of science?  Is historical science (paleontology, etc.) inferior to experimental science?  Our investigations will take us through a number of different fields of science, including physics, astronomy, chemistry, geology, and biology. We will also explore two contemporary controversies in depth, one scientific and the other popular, involving particular scientific disciplines:  (1) What caused the great Permian extinction, which occurred around 250 million years ago (before the age of the dinosaurs) and is thought to have almost ended life on Earth; (2) Is Darwinian evolution incompatible with belief in the existence of God?  As you will discover, a number of very famous evolutionary biologists, including Dr. Collins, the author of one of the books we are reading, are devout Christians who believe in a personal God.  We will also discuss the related hot button question of whether Darwinian evolution undermines belief in the existence of objective moral standards.