Objectives:

The rise of science has been a significant feature of the past several centuries of human history. Science has been enormously successful explaining, predicting, and controlling aspects of our world and so enjoys authority and respect as a source of information about that world. This course will examine science as a source of knowledge about the world. We'll look at the relationship between scientific theories and the evidence on which they're based, at the reasons we have for thinking that science provides us with a true picture of the way the world really is, at claims about the objectivity of scientific knowledge, at the nature of scientific progress, at the differences between scientific and other sorts of claims, at the values it reflects and its fit with social and political ideals.

Required Books:

Course Requirements:

(1) Daily assigned readings, class attendance, and participation (10%)
(2) 2 papers/commentaries of 5 to 6 pages (40%)
(3) 3 vocabulary/concept quizzes (20%)
(3) A take-home final exam (30%)

In addition to the daily assigned readings, I expect you to read and comment on other relevant material.  This may take a number of different forms.  For example, you may read and discuss current philosophy of science articles from philosophical journals or books, or read and discuss material from the history of science (or for that matter the history of philosophy of science) bearing on the questions we're discussing, or read discussions concerning current debates about science (discussions about the “science wars,” or about evolution and creationism/intelligent design, for instance).  I will provide a list of suggested topics (from which you are welcome to depart), talk with you about what you've read, help you sort out the issues, etc.  Brief papers providing commentary on what you've read and its relationship to things the class has read and discussed are due at 5:00 PM, November 9th and 16th.  I'm not going to specify an amount of reading you must do in order to satisfy this requirement.  In general, it is expected that you'll do enough to familiarize yourself with issues we're discussing and which interest you.  Commentaries will be evaluated on the basis of what you've read and the quality of your commentary.  Only extreme circumstances justify handing in work late, and these should be cleared before the paper is due.

The content of this course is often technical, and part of our goal is developing a sophisticated philosophical vocabulary for discussing issues about science.  To keep on top of this, we will have brief vocabulary/concept quizzes the 2nd and 3rd Mondays of the course (November 5th and 12th) as well as on the last Tuesday (Nov. 20) .  These will involve straightforward short-answer questions and will take no more than ten or fifteen minutes to complete.  They will cover words that get written on the board as well as terms we encounter in readings and class discussions.  The final exam will consist of essay questions on topics which have been the focus of our discussions.

In all work, it is expected that you will adhere to strict standards of academic honesty.  Failure to do so will result in your failing the course.

I also expect your participation in class.  I expect you to come to class prepared with questions to ask, comments about what you've read, etc.  I may occasion call on people for their questions or comments. I may provide regular opportunities for classroom reports about some particular question that arises during class.  Unless you are actively engaged in thinking about the issues we'll be discussing, you are not functioning as a member of the class.

Cornell College is committed to providing equal educational opportunities to all students.   If you have a documented learning disability and will need any accommodation in this course, you must request the accommodation(s) as early as possible and no later than the third day of the term.  Additional information about the policies and procedures for accommodation of learning disabilities is available on the Cornell web site at  http://www.cornellcollege.edu/academic_affairs/disabilities/.

Ideal Tentative Schedule
These readings are likely to be further supplemented:

Oct	29	Intro
	30	read Descartes (http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/4391), Part 1, I-XVI, LXXV-LXXVI; Part 2, I-V. Hume (http://www.gutenberg.net/etext/9662), sections II, IV and V
	31	read Schlick and Carnap (xerox)
Nov	1	read Popper (http://cla.calpoly.edu/~fotoole/321.1/popper.html) (Alternative: http://www.leonardbeeghley.com/docs/SYG%206125/Popper,%20Science-conjectures%20&%20refutations.pdf
	2	read Hempel, chapters 1-4
	5	Vocabulary quiz-- read Hempel, chapters 5-8
	6	read Kuhn: Preface and chapters 1-4, Butterfield (chapter 11)
	7	Kuhn: chapters 5-8
	8	Kuhn: chapters 9-11, Butterfield (chapter 12)
	9	No class: 1st papers due at 5:00 PM
	12	Vocabulary quiz-- Kuhn: chapters 12-13, Postscript
	13	Kitcher: chapters 1-3
	14	Kitcher: chapters 4-6
	15	Kitcher: chapters 7-9
	16	No class: 2nd papers due at 5:00
	30	Kitcher: chapters 10-12
	31	Vocabulary quiz--Kitcher: chapters 13-14, Afterword
February	1	Final Exam due at 3 PM