730 Philosophy425 Sect 01 PhilosophyofScience

Instructor: SidneyFelder,e-mail: [email protected] Rutgers The State University of NewJersey, Fall 2009, Tue & Thurs 3:55-5:15 HCK 202

Weeks 1, 2) Some Views of the Character of Science: T. H.HuxleyThe Method of Scientific Investigation Ernst Mach The Economical Nature of Physics C.S. Peirce HowtoMakeOur Ideas Clear Carl Hempel & Paul Oppenheim Studies in the Logic of Explanation

Weeks 2, 3) Logic and Axiomatic Systems Hermann Weyl Philosophy of Mathematics and Natural Science (Chapter 1)

Weeks 3, 4) The Problem of Induction: David Hume An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding (Sections IV-VII) Nelson Goodman The NewRiddle of Induction (in Fact, Fiction and Forecast)

Weeks 4, 5, 6) Evidence and Theory: Karl Popper Science: Conjectures and Refutations Carl Hempel Studies in the Logic of Confirmation Henri Poincar ´e S pace and Geometry (in Science and Hypothesis)

Weeks 6, 7, 8) Observation, Theory,and Reality P.W. Bridgman The Logic of Modern Physics (Chapter 1) Hilary Putnam What Theories are Not Moritz Schlick Positivism and Realism Thomas Kuhn The StructureofScientific Revolutions (Chapter X)

Weeks 8, 9, 10, 11, 12) Generalizations, Laws, and Probabilities Ernest Nagel The StructureofScience (Chapter 4) Ernst Mach The Science of Mechanics (Newton’sViews of Time, Space and Motion) Frank RamseyLaw and Causality David Lewis Counterfactual Dependence and Time’sArrow Bertrand Russell On the Notion of Cause Alan H´a jek Probability (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)

Weeks 13, 14) Explanation and The Unity of Science Rudolf Carnap Logical Foundations of the Unity of Science Jerry Fodor Special Sciences (or: The Disunity of Science as a Working Hypothesis) David Albert Physics, Chance, and Explanatory Unity

The readings are at various levels of difficulty — complete grasp of the readings is not expected.

There will be twotake-home exams, and one Final paper of 5-10 pages.

Syllabus Page 1