Course Guide
PHIL08005: Philosophy of Science 1
2011-2012
Department of Philosophy
School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences
University of Edinburgh
Course Organiser: Dr. Alasdair Richmond (A.Richmond@ed.ac.uk)
Course Secretary: Ms. Frankie Anderson (frankie.anderson@ed.ac.uk)
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Lecture Times and Locations
Some Important Things to Note
Course Aims and Learning Outcomes
Lecture Content
Readings
Tutorials
Assessment
Special Circumstances
WebCT
Visiting Undergraduates
Communicating With Us
Student Feedback and Course Evaluation
Extensions / Students with Adjustment Schedules
Prizes
Innovative Learning Week
Department of Philosophy
School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences
University of Edinburgh
1. Lecture Times and Locations
Monday
5.10 – 6.00 pm
Lecture Theatre B, David Hume Tower
Tuesday
5.10 – 6.00 pm
Lecture Theatre B, David Hume Tower
Thursday
5.10 – 6.00 pm
Lecture Theatre B, David Hume Tower
2. Some Important Things to Note:
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Obviously not everybody may be able to arrive right on time for 17.10 but it would be a
really big help if students could aim to be in their seats a few minutes in advance of the
scheduled (17.10) start-time for the class. It’s likely that the number of students in these
lectures will be pretty large and if everyone arrives at exactly ten past the hour, there will
almost certainly be a deal too much commotion for us to start on time. (Fifty minutes a
lecture, with lots to cover in each one …)
If the 17.10 lecture start-time is problematic for anybody then of course I’m sorry about
that but please be aware that this time is set centrally and is therefore not amenable to
change. Please note also that while 17.10 - 18.00 is the last usable lecture-slot in the
teaching day, this slot is nonetheless chosen for PHIL08005 for very good reasons.
PHIL08005 caters for students on a large number of degree-programmes and hence a
start-time of 17.10 is the best possible compromise between the many other programmes
and lecture-locations we need to accommodate.
Students will be expected to do assigned reading, both for lectures and for tutorials, and
not only to attend but to follow discussions in, tutorials. Extensive reading of suggested
course-texts is a vital part of doing the work required to pass this course.
In the nature of things, handouts / PowerPoint slides can only be scaffolding and are not a
substitute for such key learning activities as: detailed reading of suggested texts,
attending tutorials and following lectures and discussions.
3. Course Aims and Learning Outcomes
Course Aims:
Philosophy of Science 1 provides an introduction to some of the central philosophical
questions concerning the nature of scientific knowledge, placing these questions in the
context of more general philosophical inquiries concerning the nature of knowledge and its
relation to experience. The course is self-contained, presupposing no prior background in
philosophy nor any substantial scientific knowledge.
The course introduces students to characteristically philosophical ways of thinking and
arguing, applying these specifically to the nature of knowledge and scientific knowledge in
particular, and imparts an appreciation of these. It fosters the critical and analytical skills
needed in the development of well-organised and focused argument and the values of
clarity, concision, and lack of dogmatism. It should enable the student to arrive at a
considered appreciation of the scientific enterprise and some of the philosophical problems
and issues science can generate.
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In addition, PHIL08005 Philosophy of Science 1 should provide both a firm basis on
which to build, for those who wish to study philosophy further, and a good sampler of
philosophical modes of argument for those who don’t or who may be undecided.
Learning Outcomes:
Having completed the course, students will acquire and develop:
• A considered appreciation of the scientific enterprise in its epistemological and
metaphysical aspects.
• A firm basis for the development of further philosophical knowledge and understanding,
for those who wish to study philosophy further, and a good sampler of philosophical
modes of argument for those who don’t wish to pursue philosophy or who may be
undecided.
• The vital critical, deductive and analytical skills needed in the development of wellorganised and focused argument.
• The values of clarity, concision, and lack of dogmatism
• The ability to express philosophical ideas and arguments both orally and in writing, with
particular regard to the following qualities: clarity, precision, and concision; structure in
essay organization; structure in argument (written and oral); the ability to argue effectively
in a debate, including showing respect for other participants.
• Generic analytical and critical thinking skills, including: the ability to identify the
argument in a piece of prose; the ability to approach ideas with an open mind.
• Other transferable skills: working to deadlines; using computers for word-processing;
using of library resources (including electronic resources).
4. Lecture Content
The lecture content is divided into three sections, the first and third parts (the initial nine lectures
and the final fifteen lectures) being taught by Dr. Alasdair Richmond and the second part (the
middle nine lectures) taught by Mr. Orestis Palermos. Part One will discuss topics in the
epistemology of science and the problem of induction. Part Two will look at theories of
scientific method and theory change. Part Three will discuss theories of probability and
explanation, accounts of natural laws and some examples of philosophical issues within
scientific theories include relativity and evolution. Essay writing advice will be offered at
intervals both in lectures and tutorials. More details on lectures below:
PART I (Weeks 1 -3): Epistemology of Science, Induction and Falsification (9 lectures).
The first section of the course will cover the following topics: a short introduction to
Epistemology; Hume’s Problem of Induction; Inductivism and Falsificationism.
Week 1 Monday 19th – Thursday 22nd September:
Introduction to Epistemology [3 Lectures]
Firstly, a short introduction to some classic problems in epistemology and the philosophical
definition of knowledge.
Key terms: the Classical (Tripartite analysis) of Propositional Knowledge, Problems for the
Classical Analysis; Arguments for Scepticism; Descartes’s Method of Doubt; Deduction and
Induction; Foundationalism and Coherentism.
Week 2 Monday 26th – Thursday 29th September:
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Induction, Inductivism and Hume’s Problem [3 Lectures]
Next, a crucial problem in philosophy and the beginning of modern philosophy of science:
Hume’s problem of the justification of inductive inferences.
Key terms: The Problem of Induction; Inference to the Best Explanation (Abduction) and
Ockham’s Razor; Baconian Inductivism; Hume on Induction, Causation and Miracles; Ways of
Solving or Evading the Problem of Induction.
Week 3 Monday 3rd – Thursday 6th October:
Falsificationism [3 Lectures]
This week, we look at Karl Popper’s classic theory of Falsificationism as a deductive method for
science – did Popper show that science can operate without induction?
Key terms: The Criterion of Demarcation; Science and Pseudoscience; Naïve and Sophisticated
Falsificationism; Problems for Falsificationism: Theory Choice, Auxiliary Hypotheses and the
Problem of the Falsifiable Falsifier.
PART II (Weeks 4 - 6): Paradigms, Programmes and Anti-Method – Thomas Kuhn, Imre
Lakatos and Paul Feyerabend [9 lectures]. Monday 10th – Thursday 27th October.
In this three-week block, we tackle alternatives to falsificationism including Thomas Kuhn’s
famous ‘paradigm’ conception of scientific theory change, Imre Lakatos’s notion of research
programmes and Paul Feyerabend’s anti-method ‘anarchist’ or ‘Dadaist’ view of science.
Key terms: Paradigm; Paradigm Shift; Disciplinary Matrix; Gestalt Shift; Research Programmes;
Hard Core and Protective Belt: Dadaism.
PART III (Weeks 7 - 11): Probability, Laws of Nature, Selected Philosophical issues in
Science, Recapitulation (15 lectures).
Week 7 Monday 31st October – Thursday 3rd November:
Theories of Probability [3 lectures]
We look at different ways of defining the notion of probability and at some of the many
philosophical theories of probability that have been proposed.
Key terms: Objective and Subjective Theories of Probability; Propensity and Frequency
Theories; the Principle of Indifference and its Paradoxes; Thomas Bayes and Bayes’s Theorem,
Prior and Posterior Probability, Likelihood.
Week 8 Monday 7th – Thursday 10th November:
Problems for Bayesianism [1 lecture]
What problems does Bayesianism face as a theory of scientific method?
Key terms: Washing-Out of Priors; the Problem of the Empirical Basis; the Problem of Old
Evidence; the Problem of Ideal Evidence.
An Anthropic Interlude [2 lectures]
A short digression into some metaphysical arguments about science, concentrating on Brandon
Carter’s Anthropic Principle and its implications
Key terms: Anthropic Principle, Weak and Strong Anthropic Principles, Observer Selection
Effects, Design and Many Worlds, Doomsday and Simulation Arguments.
Week 9 Monday 14th November:
A Relativistic Interlude: Time and Relativity from Twins to Time Machines [1 Lecture]
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What might modern science have to tell us about the nature of time? This lecture introduces
(briefly and non-technically) both Special and General Relativity and sketches some of their
philosophical consequences.
Key terms: Relativity (Special and General); Spacetime; Light Cone; Simultaneity; Twin
Paradox; Time Travel.
Tuesday 15th – Thursday 17th November:
The Theory/Observation Distinction and Problems of Projection [2 Lectures]
Are theory-neutral observations possible or is all observation necessarily constrained by theory?
How do we generalise from experience? From Hume’s problem to Goodman’s ‘Grue’.
Key terms: The Theory-Ladenness of Observation; the Duhem-Quine Problem; UnderDetermination of Theory by Evidence; Goodman’s New Riddle of Induction; Hempel’s Paradox
of the Ravens.
Week 10 Monday 21st November:
An Evolutionary Interlude: Replicators and the Selection-Levels Debate [1 lecture]
Evolution by natural selection has been among the most successful scientific theories ever
propounded. What does the success of Darwinism suggest about our place in Nature? How does
Darwinian natural selection work? At what level does selection operate?
Key terms: Darwin; Natural Selection; Gene; Genome; Replicator; Selfish Gene; Meme.
Tuesday 22nd – Thursday 24th November:
Laws of Nature and Causation [2 Lectures]:
What is a law of nature and how does it relate to the concept of causation? We look at a range of
different theories of causation and natural laws, from Hume to the present day.
Key terms: Humean Regularity Theory; Naïve and Sophisticated Regularity Theories of
Causation, the Mill-Ramsey-Lewis Theory; the Armstrong-Dretske-Tooley Theory.
Week 11 Monday 28th November – Thursday 1st December:
Realism and Anti-Realism [2 lectures]
Does science aim at producing true theories or merely instrumentally useful theories?
Key terms: Realism and Anti-Realism; Thomas Kuhn, Paradigms and Incommensurability; Larry
Laudan and the Pessimistic Meta-Induction.
Recapitulation / Revision [1 lecture]
5. Readings
Recommended / Main Textbooks
[1] Ladyman, James. 2002. Understanding Philosophy of Science. Routledge
[2] Gillies, Donald. 2000. Philosophical Theories of Probability. Routledge.
[3] Losee, John 2000. A Historical Introduction to the Philosophy of Science. OUP.
[4] Bird, Alexander. 1998. Philosophy of Science, UCL.
[5] Psillos, Stathis. 2003. Causation and Explanation, Acumen.
[6] Elster, Jon. 1989. Nuts and Bolts for the Social Sciences, Cambridge.
Useful / Auxiliary Textbooks
[7] O’Hear, Anthony. Philosophy of Science.
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[8] Chalmers, A.F. What is this Thing Called Science?
[9] Dancy, Jonathan. Introduction to Contemporary Epistemology.
[10] Everitt, Nicholas and Alec Fisher. Modern Epistemology: A New Introduction
[11] Grayling, A. (ed), Philosophy 1: A Guide Through the Subject, Part One.
Anthologies of Articles
[12] Curd, Martin and Cover, J.A. (eds.) 1998. Philosophy of Science: the Central Issues. W.W.
Norton
[13] Boyd, Richard, Gasper, Philip & Trout, J. D. (eds.) 1991. The Philosophy of Science. MIT
Press
[14] Papineau, David (ed.) 1996. Philosophy of Science (Oxford Readings in Philosophy), OUP.
[15] Dancy, Jonathan and Sosa, Ernest (eds.). 1994. Blackwell Companion to Epistemology.
On-Line Articles / Resources
[16] Boyd, Richard, ‘Scientific Realism’, The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Summer
2002), Edward N. Zalta (ed.),
http://plato.stanford.edu/archives/sum2002/entries/scientific-realism/
[17] Niiniluoto, Ilkka, ‘Scientific Progress, The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Spring
2007), Edward N. Zalta (ed.),
http://plato.stanford.edu/archives/spr2007/entries/scientific-progress/
[18] Thornton, Stephen, ‘Karl Popper’, The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Winter 2006),
Edward N. Zalta (ed.), http://plato.stanford.edu/archives/win2006/entries/popper/
[19] Woodward, James, ‘Scientific Explanation’, The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
(Summer 2003), Edward N. Zalta (ed.),
http://plato.stanford.edu/archives/sum2003/entries/scientific-explanation/
[21] Philosophy of Science – JSTOR Archive, http://www.jstor.org/journals/00318248.html
[22] The Philosophy of Science Archive, http://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/.
[23] Nick Bostrom’s santhropic-principle.com, http://www.anthropic-principle.com/.
6. Tutorials
In addition to three course lectures per week, you must attend weekly tutorials. Tutorials give
you a chance to discuss further topics and issues in the course as well as go over the weekly
exercise set. Tutorials will take place, at times and places to be arranged, during weeks 2
through11 of the semester.
Attendance at tutorials is compulsory for all students on this course. To be clear, you must attend
these tutorials. The class tutor will maintain a register of attendance. Unexplained absences will
be brought to the attention of your Director of Studies.
Information concerning tutorials will be available on WebCT. You must assign yourself to a
tutorial group for the course by signing up for a tutorial group of your choice via WebCT during
the first week of the second semester. If none of the available times for tutorials is compatible
with your timetable, please inform Frankie Anderson in the Teaching Office immediately.
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7. Assessment
This course will be examined on the basis of two pieces of assessed work. Your overall
assessment mark for this course will be determined by our assessment of these two pieces of
work. These pieces are as follows:
The Mid-Term Coursework Essay
This counts for 25% of the overall assessment mark.
The End of Semester Degree Examination
This counts for 75% of the overall assessment mark.
The coursework essay is a single 1500 word essay answering a question from an agreed list of
questions. The coursework essay is due on Tuesday 1st November, 2011, by 4pm.
The degree examination is a two-hour examination given under exam conditions at a date, time
and place to be announced later in the term.
Detailed information concerning essay titles, readings, submission procedures and the Degree
Examination will be available on WebCT.
Essay Submission
You should submit one hard copy of your essay to the drop boxes (opposite reception) on the
ground floor of the Dugald Stewart Building by 4pm, 1st November, 2011.
The date of submission will be taken from your hard copy. You should also upload one copy
electronically to WebCT, (use .rls or .doc). The electronic submission is compulsory and should
be submitted within 48 hours of the hardcopy deadline. Please contact Frankie Anderson in the
Teaching Office if you are having problems uploading your essay.
8. Special Circumstances
Students may apply for consideration of special circumstances if they feel that events out with
their control have resulted in poor exam performance in comparison to their previous coursework
record or even missing an exam. These circumstances most commonly include illness or
bereavement but can be submitted for a variety of issues. It is the student’s responsibility to
complete a Special Circumstances form giving as much detail as possible and providing
supporting evidence. All submissions must be accompanied by medical or other documentation.
9. WebCT
You should regularly check your university email and check for announcements on the course
WebCT page, which can be assessed from your MyEd page via http://www.myed.ed.ac.uk/
The Course WebCT Page will provide information concerning:
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General information and announcement about the course
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Lecture notes and PowerPoint slides
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Tutorial arrangements
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Information about assessment arrangements
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In addition, the Philosophy Teaching Materials WebCT page will provide more general
information concerning:
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The Extended Common Marking Scheme — which is used to assess your work
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Advice in relation to avoiding plagiarism
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Advice on essay writing
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Submission procedures for coursework
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Submission of late work
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10. Visiting Undergraduates
The assessment arrangements for visiting undergraduates are the same as for all other students.
11. Communicating With Us
If you have questions not specifically about lecture content, you should speak to the Course
Secretary, Ms Frankie Anderson, PPLS Teaching Office, 4th Floor, Dugald Stewart Building;
Tel. 0131 650 3961; e-mail: frankie.anderson@ed.ac.uk
If you have a query regarding lecture content or other specifically academic matters you can
contact Dr. Alasdair Richmond as course organiser (and principal lecturer), whose officehours and other contact details are as below:
Office:
Room 6.11, Dugald Stewart Building
Telephone:
(0131) 650 3656
E-mail:
A.Richmond@ed.ac.uk
Office-hours (Term-time): Thursdays 1.30 – 3 pm
Fridays 12 noon – 2 pm and by appointment
Please note that all students with questions on course material or any aspect of philosophy of
science are more than welcome (and strongly encouraged) to attend any of Dr. Richmond’s
office-hours. Please note too that if none of these times suit, alternative appointments can easily
be arranged on request.
Additional Lecturer for PHIL08005 is Mr. Orestis Palermos. Mr. Palermos will be
lecturing in weeks 4-6 of this course, (Monday 10th to Thursday 27th October inclusive).
E-mail: S.Palermos@sms.ed.ac.uk
Your tutor is also likely to be able to clarify philosophical / course issues for you or direct you to
the appropriate person. If in doubt though, please ask the course organiser, Dr. Richmond.
12. Student Feedback and Course Evaluation
We welcome feedback from you. You will have an opportunity to provide feedback on the
course via course questionnaires distributed in tutorial groups near the end of the semester.
In addition, the Philosophy Staff-Student Liaison Committee (SSLC) meets once per semester.
The committee provides opportunities for communication between students and faculty. A
student representative will be recruited to represent the Philosophy of Science 1 course at the
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SSLC. Students taking the course are strongly encouraged to communicate any concerns or
suggestions to their student representatives and/or course organiser (as appropriate).
The course questionnaires and the SSLC providing opportunities for students to comment on the
course, to let us know how things are going, and to make suggestions for improvement.
13. Extensions / Students with Adjustment Schedules
Extensions
Students are expected to monitor their workload, be aware of all deadlines and be able to
organise themselves accordingly.
Extension requests should be submitted before the submission deadline. They must be submitted
to the Teaching Office for approval, and must include details of the assessment(s) affected and
length of extension requested, together with supporting evidence if required.
Other than in exceptional circumstances, extensions will only be granted in cases of illness or
family emergency. If students are seeking extensions for more than one week, they must provide
medical evidence and/or discuss the request with the Student Support Officer. Extension
requests due to time mismanagement, personal computing/printing problems or ignorance
of deadline will not be accepted.
The Teaching Office will email the student to tell them whether the extension has been granted.
The decision conveyed in this email is final; if students feel that they have been unfairly denied
an extension they should make a case to the special circumstances committee for the removal of
late submission penalties at the examination board.
Retrospective extensions will not be granted. However, late submission penalties may be
waived if a student requests an extension on the day of the submission deadline but cannot get
medical evidence until some days later.
Extensions include weekends and University holidays. If an extended deadline falls on a
weekend, the work should be submitted by 9:30am on the next working day (i.e., work which
would be due at 4pm on Saturday due to an extension should be submitted by 9:30am on the
following Monday).
Students with Adjustment Schedules
Extension requests from students with adjustment schedules that allow 'short notice extensions'
will be treated sympathetically where possible. Students should however be prepared to give a
reason for the extension request; simply citing an adjustment schedule is not an adequate reason.
If students are seeking extensions for more than one week, they must provide medical evidence
and/or discuss the request with the Student Support Officer.
14. Prizes
Students who perform with special excellence in Philosophy of Science 1 may be eligible for a
Daniel Garrad Prize in Philosophy, awarded for distinction in Philosophy of Science.
15. Innovative Learning Week
In academic year 2011-2012 the University is having an extra week of teaching in Semester 2:
Innovative Learning Week, 20 -24 February 2012. Normal teaching slots will be suspended and
in their place will be a range of other activities such as master classes, a research day, a science
fair, a Gaelic festival and guest lectures.
More information will follow nearer the time so please check the School website where
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details will be available: http://www.ppls.ed.ac.uk/events/view/innovative-learning-week-20-24february-2012
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