January 30, 2001

Spring 2001

Lindley Darden

University of Maryland, College Park

Aims of the course: This course surveys important developments in twentieth century philosophy of science, including logical positivism, Popper’s falsificationism, Kuhn’s model of scientific change, more contemporary approaches and issues, and criticisms of these approaches. The course addresses such issues as the following: Is there a way to demarcate science from pseudoscience? What is a scientific explanation? To what extent is observation theory-dependent? Is science a rational activity? What does the history of science show about the development of scientific knowledge? What are the contemporary issues in philosophy of science?

An additional aim of the course is for the student to learn and to practice critical thinking and critical writing.

Useful details: Instructor: Lindley Darden, Professor of Philosophy. Office: 1107C Skinner; Mailbox: Philosophy Department, 1125A Skinner; Phone: 301-405-5699. Office hours: Tues 2-3 and by appointment. Email: darden@carnap.umd.edu. Web page: www.inform.umd.edu/PHIL/faculty/LDarden/ and Web CT page for the course: www.courses.umd.edu

Requirements: Midterm examination, class presentation, class participation and question preparation, term paper, and final examination. Class attendance for the entire class period is expected. Each student will be "up" for several classes; being up entails carefully reading all assigned material and preparing at least two questions for class discussion to be distributed on the PHIL453 listserv list on the Friday before the Tuesday class. If you are unable to attend a class for which you are "up," make arrangements ahead of time for someone else to take your place and notify the instructor. Details about the class presentation, paper, and exams will be distributed in class. Promptness on all assignments is mandatory.

Grading: The term paper, the midterm examination and the final examination will each count 30 points in the final grade (based on 100 total). The class presentation and discussion questions will count 5 points and general class participation and attendance (showing evidence of having done the reading) will count 5 points. The final will be cumulative, covering all the material in the reading and in class discussion. Late papers receive lower grades; the grade decreases by a portion of a letter grade for each class day that the paper is late; thus, it is possible to receive an F because of lateness. However, an F is not a 0, which is given for failure to turn in a paper or to take an exam. The midterm exam, term paper, and final examination must all be completed to receive a passing grade in the course; in other words, completing them is a necessary, but not a sufficient, requirement to pass the course.

Honesty: Honesty on the part of students is presumed. The student is expected to be familiar with the University of Maryland Code of Academic Integrity available at

http://www.inform.umd.edu/jpo/ Students may get help with the grammar and structure of their writing, such as at the Writing Center (Room 0125, Taliaferro Hall), but they may not get unacknowledged help with the content of their work. Please contact the instructor with any questions about what is acceptable or unacceptable outside help. Learn exactly what plagiarism is and avoid it. The Code is administered by the Student Honor Council, which strives to promote a community of trust on the College Park campus. Allegations of academic dishonesty can be reported directly to the Honor Council (301-314-8206) by any member of the campus community.

Accommodations: If a student has a documented disability and wishes to discuss academic accommodations with the instructor, please contact her as soon as possible. If a student is a member of a religious group that will require accommodations in the academic calendar, please contact the instructor as soon as possible.

Class listserv list and WebCT page: There is a listserv list for the class to exchange information by email. If you do not have an email account, get a wam (Workstations at Maryland) account at the Computer Help Desk (CSS 1400); take photo identification and proof of registration. To subscribe to the class list, from your own email account where you wish to receive messages, send a message to listserv@umdd.umd.edu Leave the subject blank. In the body of the message type: subscribe PHIL453 your first name your last name, e.g., subscribe PHIL453 Karl Popper Send message. Respond immediately to the confirmation message that you receive. In order to send messages to all subscribers, send to PHIL453@umdd.umd.edu Note the difference between the address for subscribing and the address for sending messages to the entire list. If you have difficulty subscribing, come to the instructor's office hour or contact her for an appointment to get help. You are required to be aware of the messages that the instructor posts to the list, so check your email often. This account is only to be used for class material and discussions; do not send other items to this list. Feel free to continue class discussions on the list serve, ask about items that you do not understand, raise issues related to class material, etc.

There is also a WebCT page for the course. Access it by going to www.courses.umd.edu Click on the myWebCT@Maryland link. Your User Name is your student ID number (no dashes). Your MARS PIN is your Password. Only those students registered for the class have access to the WebCT page for this class.

Assignments:

Required Reading:

Hempel, Ch. 3, in Boyd et al.

Begin reading Newton-Smith, Chs. 1 and 2 ; begin reading Popper, Chs. 1-5

Recommended:

Bechtel, Chs. 1-3

F. Suppe (1977), The Structure of Scientific Theories, 2nd. ed., pp. 3-118

Required Reading: Popper, Chs. 1-5

Newton-Smith, Chs. 1- 3

Putnam, Ch. 6 in Boyd et al.

Required Reading: Kuhn, Structure, entire

Begin reading: Newton-Smith, Chs. 5 and 6

Required: Newton-Smith, Chs. 5 and 6

Masterman , in Lakatos and Musgrave, pp. 59-89

Boyd, Ch. 11, in Boyd et al.

Recommended:

Newton-Smith, Ch. 7-8

Bechtel, Ch. 4

Suppe (1977), pp. 119-232 and "Afterward, 1977," pp. 617-730

Boyd et al, Part I, Sec. II, Causation and Explanation

Part II, Sec. II, Philosophy of Biology

other articles from Boyd et al. and elsewhere, depending on class interest

Apr. 3 Term paper: Thesis topic and bibliography, due

May 1 Term Paper due