Philosophy of Science

Philosophy 128 UC Berkeley Summer, 2016 3105 Etcheverry Hall Professor: Paul Skokowski 144 Moses Hall Office Hours: Wednesdays, 3:45-5 PM paulsko ~at~ stanford ~dot~ edu GSI: Alberto Tassoni atassoni ~at~ berkeley ~dot~ edu Texts: Kuhn, The Structure of Scientific Revolutions Albert, Quantum Mechanics and Experience Hacking, Representing and Intervening Course Reader: Course Reader Available at Copy Central on Bancroft. Logical Positivism, Empiricism, and Falsification Week 1, Mon, May 23: Introduction and Course Overview Reader, M. Schlick, Positivism and Realism Further Suggested Reading: Rudolf Carnap, Psychology in Physical Language - here Week 1, Tue, May 23: Reader, C. Hempel, Philosophy of Natural Science, Ch. 1-4 Reader, R. Carnap, The Confirmation of Laws and Theories Reader, K. Popper, Science: Conjectures and Refutations Scientific Revolutions Week 1, Wednesday, May 24: Reader, K. Popper, Science: Conjectures and Refutations Reader, Lakatos, Falsification and the Methodology of Scientific Research Week 2, Thursday, May 26th: * * * * Note Different Room: 106 Moffitt * * * * Structure of Scientific Revolutions, T. Kuhn, Ch I-IV Week 2: Monday, May 30th: * * * * Memorial Day Holiday, NO CLASS * * * * Week 2: Tuesday, May 31st: * * * 1st Paper Topic Available Today * * * Structure of Scientific Revolutions, T. Kuhn, Ch V-IX Week 3: Wednesday, June 1st: Structure of Scientific Revolutions, T. Kuhn, Ch X-XIII Week 3: Monday, June 6: Reader, Popper, Normal Science and its Dangers Reader, P. Feyerabend, Consolation for the Specialist Reader, Masterman, The Nature of a Paradigm Review of Logical Positivism and Scientific Revolutions Week 3: Tuesday, June 7: * * * * MID-TERM EXAM IN CLASS * * * * Philosophy of Quantum Mechanics Week 3: Wednesday, June 8: Albert, Quantum Mechanics and Experience, Ch. 1, Superposition Albert, Ch. 2, Formalism Week 4: Monday, June 13: Albert, Ch. 2, Formalism Albert, Ch. 3, Nonlocality Week 4: Tuesday, June 14: Albert, Ch. 4, Measurement Albert, Ch. 5, Collapse of the Wave Function Week 4: Wednesday June 15th: Albert, Ch. 6, The Dynamics by Itself Week 5: Monday, June 20: * * * 2nd Paper Topic Available Today * * * Albert, Ch. 7, Bohm's Theory Realism, Anti-Realism and Reality Testing Week 5: Tuesday, June 21: Reader, B. van Fraassen, Arguments Concerning Scientific Realism Reader, A. Fine, And Not Anti-Realism Either Week 5: Wednesday, June 22: Hacking, Representing and Intervening, Cambridge University Press, 1983, p. 1-91 Week 6: Monday, June 27: When Explanation Leads to Inference, N. Cartwright, Philosophical Topics, 13(1). Realism and Review Week 6: Tuesday, June 28th: * * * * FINAL EXAM IN CLASS * * * * Philosophy Research | Talks | Teaching | Publications | Home paulsko{AT}turing{D0T}stanford{D0T}edu --- Tel: (510) 642-2722 --- Cordura Hall 127, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305-4101