PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE
(PHIL. 269a)
    Reading Assignments

    (The readings from Philosophy of Natural Science by Carl Hempel and The Structure of Scientific Revolutions by Thomas Kuhn are listed by author and chapter number(s). Readings from The Philosophy of Science, edited by David Papineau, are listed by author and title followed by "PoS:" and page numbers, in parentheses. There are also a few further readings that are labeled "photocopy" or "on-line". "Photocopy" indicates material that is available for duplication at the Reserve Desk in the Cross Campus Library.)

  • For Sep. 6: Read "The Fixation of Belief" by Peirce (on-line). You might also want to look at Peirce's other "popular" piece, "How to Make Our Ideas Clear" (on-line).
  • For Sep. 8: Read Hempel, Chapters 1 and 2.
  • For Sep. 13: Read Hempel, Chapters 3 and 4.
  • For Sep. 20: Read Popper Selections, pp. 133-161 (photocopy and on-line under 'Resources' on the course's Classes*v2 page).
  • For Sep. 22: Read Popper Selections, pp. 118-130 (photocopy and on-line) and Goodman, "The New Riddle of Induction" (on-line under 'Resources' on the Classes*v2 page).
  • For Sep. 27: Re-read the Goodman, then read Hempel, Chapter 5.
  • For Sep. 29: Read Hempel, Chapter 6.
  • For Oct. 4: Check out the topics for the First Paper, due Tuesday, 10/11. Be sure to look at my Paper Requirements and Policies as well. Also, read Hempel, Chapters 7 and 8.
  • For Oct. 6: Read "Two Dogmas of Empiricism" by Quine (on-line under 'Resources' on the Classes*v2 page). The following Reading Questions might help you focus on important points.
  • For Oct. 11: First Papers due.
  • For Oct. 18: Read Kuhn, Preface and Chapters I and II.
  • For Oct. 20: Read Kuhn, Chapters III-VI.
  • For Oct. 25: Read Kuhn, Chapters VII-IX.
  • For Oct. 27: Read Kuhn, Chapters X-XII.
  • For Nov. 1: Read Kuhn, Chapter XIII and Postscript.
  • For Nov. 8: Read "The Current Status of Scientific Realism" by Boyd (on-line under 'Resources' on the Classes*v2 page).
  • For Nov. 10: Read "To Save the Phenomena" (PoS 82-92) and "Arguments Concerning Scientific Realism" by van Fraassen (on-line under 'Resources' on the Classes*v2 page--Skip from the bottom of p. 26 to the bottom of p. 30).
  • For Nov. 17: Read "A Confutation of Convergent Realism" by Laudan (PoS 107-138). Also, look at the topics for the Second Paper, due Thursday, 12/1.
  • For Nov. 29: Read "The Natural Ontological Attitude" by Fine (PoS 21-44).
  • For Dec. 1: Second Papers due. Read "NOA's Ark--Fine for Realism" by Musgrave (PoS 45-60).
Last updated Nov. 10, 2005

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This document was created on August 28, 2005.