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Philosophy 3550 Exam 1 Questions ** Indicates That a Question Was Used Philosophy 3550 Exam 1 Questions ** indicates that a question was used on the practice examination Short-Answer Questions: 1. Explain Robert Merton’s basic idea of universalism. 2. Explain Robert Merton’s basic idea of communism. ** 3. Explain Robert Merton’s basic idea of organized skepticism. 4. Explain Robert Merton’s basic idea of disinteredness. 5. What is a heuristic? 6. What is a research program (according to Lakatos)? 7. What is the problem of induction? 8. What is the basic idea of falsification? 9. What is meant by novel predictions? ** 10. What is meant by pseudoscience? Key Concept Questions (shorter versions of these may appear in the first section of the test): 1. According to Thomas Kuhn, what is the difference between normal science and revolutionary science? How does this distinction fit into Kuhn’s attempt to separate science from pseudoscience? 2. What is the difference between a progressive research program and a degenerating research program? How does this distinction fit into Lakatos’s attempt to separate science from pseudoscience? 3. Feyerabend considers two arguments for the special status of science in today’s society. What is the basic argument from method? How does Feyerabend criticize this argument? 4. Feyerabend considers two arguments for the special status of science in today’s society. What is the basic argument from results? How does Feyerabend criticize this argument? 5. What is the basic problem of induction? Why does Popper believe that his concept of falsification solves the problem of induction? 6. What is Robert Merton’s ethos of science? Be sure to explain the four key components. 7. What is Ziman’s basic distinction between pure science and technological knowledge? 8. What is science according to Ziman? How good do you think his definition is? 9. What are the conditions that Paul Thagard gives for something to be considered pseudoscience? How successful do you think his approach is to the demarcation problem? ** 10. According to Feyerabend, how can the same field of inquiry be at one time a liberating influence and at another time an oppressive tyrant? Compare/Contrast Questions: 1. Compare and contrast the demarcation criteria given by Popper and Kuhn. Which is better? 2. Compare and contrast the demarcation criteria given by Popper and Lakatos. Which is better? 3. Compare and contrast the demarcation criteria given by Popper and Thagard. Which is better? 4. Compare and contrast the demarcation criteria given by Kuhn and Lakatos. Which is better? 5. Compare and contrast the demarcation criteria given by Kuhn and Thagard. Which is better? 6. Compare and contrast the demarcation criteria given by Lakatos and Thagard. Which is better? 7. Compare and contrast the attempts of John Ziman and Robert Merton to characterize what science is. 8. Compare and contrast the views of Michael Ruse and Larry Laudan on the scientific status of creationism.** Application Questions: 1. Choose one of the approved theories. Do you think Sir Karl Popper would say that the theory is scientific? Explain.** 2. Choose one of the approved theories. Do you think Thomas Kuhn would say that the theory is scientific? Explain. 3. Choose one of the approved theories. Do you think Imre Lakatos would say that the theory is scientific? Explain. 4. Choose one of the approved theories. Do you think Paul Thagard would say that the theory is scientific? Explain. 5. Choose one of the approved theories. Do you think John Ziman would say that the theory is scientific? Explain. 6. Choose one of the approved theories. Do you think Michael Ruse would say that the theory is scientific? Explain. 7. Choose one of the approved theories. Do you think Larry Laudan would say that the theory is scientific? Explain. Approved Theories (I recommend you have two or three from which to choose for the application question): Evolution Creationism Intelligent Design Newtonian Gravity (also with Kepler's Laws) Special Relativity General Relativity Abiogenesis Adler's Psychology Psychoanalysis Astrology Marx's Theory of History Mendelian Genetics Snell's Law String Theory .
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