STS 5306: MAIN THEMES IN
PHILOSOPHY OF MODERN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY II
Wednesdays, 6:30 to 9:15 p.m., NVC Falls Church (check bulletin board for room)
Summer, 2007
Instructor: Lee L. Zwanziger
Phone: (301) 443-5587
Email: lzwanzig@verizon.net
This class is a core introductory graduate course. It is designed to help students become
familiar with several major topics prominent in philosophy of science and technology and to
develop skill in making and evaluating arguments about these and related topics. Topics range
from problems of knowledge such as whether and how we have it and how can we tell we are not
just fooling ourselves about it, through influences of science and technology in society, and
influences of society in science and technology. The courses can be taken in either order.
This syllabus is provisional: first, if students can’t be there by 6:30, we can move the time
to 7:00. Next, the class should meet 12 times, but one of the meetings would fall on the
Independence Day holiday, so I hope we can find a make-up time as early as possible in the
term; meanwhile I just gave the date for the first class and designated the others by meeting
number. Finally, I reserve as always the right to change readings as needed.
There will be four short written assignments, one of which will be related to a classroom
presentation, and a take home exam. Grading: participation in class including presentation –
20%, the four written assignments – 15% each, final exam – 20%.
All papers and the final should be word-processed, with all quotations and other
references documented in any standard format: year, author + reference list, numbered endnotes,
footnotes. In general, the point of referencing is that a reader unfamiliar with this course should
be able to locate the original reference you used and read it in the original author’s context, so
that can be a guideline for what to provide. Please email the papers as an attachment, preferably
in Word, to me by noon on the due date (in general the Monday after the preceding class in
syllabus, dates to be finalized when make-up class is scheduled). Please check your calendars
early to make sure you can turn in your papers on time—late work is not readily comparable to
work turned in on time, so unless I give pre-clearance in exceptional circumstances, I will
downgrade late papers.
If you do not have reasonably easy access to email/internet resources, or if you foresee
difficulties of other sorts, please contact me so we can make other arrangements.
The assigned readings will be drawn from the books listed below. These can be ordered
online from several vendors, and I have also requested that library copies be placed on reserve in
the NVC library, except Pitt (2000), which is available through the library in electronic form.
Achterhuis, H (Ed) and Crease (RP, Trans). 2001. American Philosophy of Technology: The
Empirical Turn. Indiana University Press ISBN-10: 0253214491 [A&C]
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Curd, M., and Cover, J.A. 1998. Philosophy of Science: The Central Issues. WW Norton and
Company. [C&C] (same as was used in 5305)
Haack, S. 2003. Defending Science –Within Reason: Between Scientism and Cynicism
(Prometheus Books)
Kitcher, P. 2001. Science, Truth, and Democracy. New York: Oxford University Press.
Machamer, P. and Silberstein, M. (eds.) Blackwell Guide to the Philosophy of Science.
Blackwell Publ. 2002. ISBN: 0631221085 [M&S]
J. Pitt, 2000. Thinking About Technology: Foundations of the Philosophy of Technology. New
York: Seven Bridges Press. ISBN: 1889119121.
Rosenberg, A. 200?. Philosophy of Science: A Contemporary Introduction. Routledge. [R]
(same as was used in 5305; if you are buying it now, I’d suggest you get a paperback edition for
$30 or less. There is one at Amazon for about $100, which is not necessary here!).
Scharff, R.C., and Dusek, V. (Eds). 2003. Philosophy of Technology: The Technological
Condition: An Anthology. Blackwell Publishing. [S&D] (same as was used in 5305)
Mtg 1, 5/23 – Intro, overview
Mtg 2 – Science in society: Demarcation.
Science and Pseudoscience [C&C] Pt 1
Mtg 3 – Science in Society: Realism, foundationalism/coherentism
Haack, entire
Mtg 4 – Science in Society: Public Participation
Kitcher, entire
Mtg 5 – Science in Society: Values, Objectivity
[R] 6-7, [S&D]14, [C&C] Pt 2
[paper #1 due M, explain demarcation and its importance (or not) for science in policy,
and/or discuss the implications for science in policy of objectivity problems]
Mtg 6 – Special Sciences I: Social sciences, biological science
[M&S] Ch 11-12, 13-14, plus other readings TBA
Mtg 7 – Special Sciences II: Physical Sciences (Guest Speaker)
[M&S] Ch 9-10 plus other readings TBA)
[paper #2 due M, explain issues of a special science—your choice of those covered)
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Mtg 8 – Empirical Turn in Philosophy of Technology [A&C], entire
Mtg 9 – Empirical turn --articles from Kroes and Maijers, eds.
(possibly also S&D 44-48)
[paper #3 due M, discuss “the empirical turn” in philosophy of technology]
Mtg 10 – Technology in Society Survey I
Student presentations, readings to be determined
Mtg 11 – Technology in Society Survey II
Student Presentations continued, readings to be determined.
[paper #4 due M after presentation: details to be explained in class]
Mtg 12, 8/8 – Empirical Turn in Philosophy of Technology: Pitt entire
Wrapping up as needed
[Take home final, details TBA]
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