Philosophy 160 Fall 2015
Philosophy of Science
Study Guide for the Final Exam
The final exam will be a short answer test just like the midterms both in format and length. It will not be cumulative. You need only study the material covered since the second midterm. This includes all material covered since November 3. That goes back to chapter 5 of the Hollis book.
I am aware that the material in the Hollis book is a little harder to reduce to a series of theoretical positions that you might memorize and repeat for the test. This test will probably have questions a little more broadly focused like, “how does the problem of other minds add another level of interpretation for social scientists who imagine that the method of explanation is….?” So, in order to answer such a question you would have to know what the problem of other minds is and you would have to remember something about the discussion about it but, you might be able to answer such a question by appealing to a number of different points, maybe even an example.
As with the previous tests, I am not going to try to make this difficult by finding obscure points buried in the text. I will focus questions on the prominent issues both in the book and in lecture.
Still, it might require a little more focus on why such and such is important in debates about social science. If you have read the material and taken good notes in class, you probably have what you need to be well-prepared for the final exam. If that doesn’t help, review the following:
Durkheim – social facts, functionalist/structuralist explanation, and false consciousness
The inter-subjectivity of meaning, language-games and “forms-of-life” (Weber and Winch)
Interpretation of kinds of meaning (like words or actions) and its importance in social science
The importance of conceptual/linguistic analysis in social science (Wittgenstein/Winch)
The level of analysis problem
The problem of other minds
What do linguistic anthropologists mean in saying that another social practice is “rational”?
Why Evans-Pritchard’s study of the Azande is interesting to Social Scientists
Conceptual relativism/ perceptual relativism
The Sapir-Whorf hypothesis / Linguistic determinism
The function of positions and “roles” in social explanation
Rational and Normative expectations in social behavior/explanation
The concepts of “agents” vs. “actors” in social explanation
That is not the most thorough list I could provide (that would, I think, make it harder), but if you know your way around those topics you are well-prepared.
The final exam is on Thursday, December 10, 7:15 – 9:30 in the morning.
Since the final exam is only as long as the midterm, it will not take you the full 2 hours and 15 minutes allotted to take the test. Even so, arrive on time and get it over with. I know this is early.
You should be animated by the light. Do not walk toward the light until after the final exam.
To learn your grade on the final exam, you may email a request 3 or 4 days after the test. I will respond when I finish grading them.