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Philosophy 144: Introduction to the Philosophy of Science Professor Andersen Spring 2013 Monday and Wednesday, 12:30-­‐1:20PM Blusson 9660 Email: handerse@sfu.ca Office phone: 778-­‐782-­‐4851 (does not accept messages) Office: WMX 5611 Office hours: Monday 10:30AM-­‐11:30; Tuesday 1PM-­‐2PM; or by appointment

Overview: This course will provide an introduction to issues surrounding the history and philosophy of the sciences. We will consider the trajectory of how science as we now think of it came to be, where new ideas and new technologies transformed major worldviews into what we now recognize as the beginnings of modern science. The historical part of this course will begin with the physics of Aristotle, look at important episodes in the development of science such as the work of Copernicus and Galileo, and conclude with Newton and his massive achievement in creating a framework for modern physics. These historical episodes will provide the jumping-­‐off point to consider conceptual issues in contemporary science. We will also consider the role of new technologies in driving advances in human knowledge and changes to our understanding of our place in the cosmos.

Readings: Many of the readings will be chapters from the assigned textbook, Birth of a New Physics, by Cohen. This is available in the University Bookstore. If you purchase your own copy elsewhere, make sure to get the most recent edition. Readings that are not in the textbook will be made available on Canvas. The readings should be completed before the class session in which we discuss it. It will often be helpful to bring the readings to class with you, as they will be the basis of our discussions.

Class requirements: There are three components to the grade for this course.

 2 essay papers: 25 and 30% respectively.  Tutorial participation: 20% total.  Final exam: 25%. Philosophy is a field that necessarily involves at least some discussion. Students are expected to participate in such class discussions, which includes being prepared for discussion by having done the relevant readings and being in class on time. There will be times when students will be called on to provide an answer to a question.

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The late policy for this course applies to the two essays. A 5 point reduction will accrue for each day an essay is late. This starts at the beginning of class time on the day they are due (in other words, if you are half an hour late with your paper, that counts as 1 day late). Essays are assigned with two weeks advance notice. Take advantage of this to start your essays early; deadline extensions will not be given except under extremely extenuating circumstances.

Academic Integrity: Students are expected to adhere to the SFU Academic Integrity Policy (available at http://students.sfu.ca/academicintegrity/policy/index.html). This is particularly important for written papers. Improper quotation or paraphrasing, as well as insufficient citation, count as plagiarism, even though the student may not have intended it. There are numerous resources on the web to assist you in proper citation if you are in doubt.

If you have any doubts about how to write a fully original and properly cited essay, ask. Students should familiarize themselves with what plagiarism is and how to avoid it using the online tutorial http://www.lib.sfu.ca/help/tutorials/plagiarism-­‐tutorial.

Most cases of plagiarism will result in an automatic 0 points for the assignment, and an Academic Dishonesty report will be filed with the University. Some cases will result in an FD grade for the entire course, which shows on the transcript as “failure due to academic dishonesty”.

Student Support: For additional assistance, particularly for writing essays, please check http://learningcommons.sfu.ca/ for tools, schedules for tutoring, and other services including assistance for students for whom English is not their first language. These lectures will be available as recordings through the SFU IT pages.

Schedule of Topics: This schedule is preliminary, and there may be changes to specific topics or dates as the semester progresses. Any changes to the schedule will be announced in class and on Canvas.

Week 1: Jan. 6, 8 Overview of course, introduction: Modern Aristotelians and contemporary science Week 2: Jan. 13, 15 Chapters 1 and 2 of Cohen: Aristotelian Physics Week 3: Jan. 20, 22 Paradigms: Thomas Kuhn Week 4: Jan. 27, 29 Chapter 3 of Cohen: Ptolemy and Copernicus 2

Week 5: Feb. 3, 5 Realism and the standard model of particle physics: the Higgs boson First paper assigned Feb. 5 Reading week Feb. 10-­‐15; no class Week 6: Feb. 17, 19 Chapter 4: Galileo and the heavens Week 7: Feb. 24, 26 Searching for exoplanets: Sara Seager First paper due Feb. 24 Week 8: Mar. 3, 5 Chapter 5: Galileo and falling bodies Week 9: Mar. 10, 12 Idealization and mathematics: Weisberg, Batterman Week 10: Mar. 17, 19 Chapter 6: Kepler Second paper assigned Mar. 17 Week 11: Mar. 24, 26 Science and pseudoscience: pop science reporting, Cartwright on RCTs,

Week 12: Mar. 31, Apr. 2 Chapter 7: Newton Second paper due Mar. 31 Week 13: Apr. 7, 9 Conclusion: history and the philosophical stance towards contemporary science Final Exam: Tuesday, April 15, 3:30-­‐6:30PM; room to be announced.

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