Philosophy of Science (PHIL*2180)

Code and section: PHIL*2180*01

Term: Fall 2021

Instructor: Haomiao Yu

Details

Method of Delivery:

Mondays and Wednesdays at 11:30-12:50, face to face on campus. The class can be live-streamed for those who cannot attend that day.

Course Synopsis:

In this course we will read two classic books in philosophy of science: Kuhn’s The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, and Chang’s Is Water H2O?: Evidence, Realism and Pluralism. The first part of this course will focus on Kuhn’s book and look at scientific revolutions and scientific paradigms. We will study how science develops and progresses by examining the history of science. In the second part, we will study Chang’s book and explore the journey of how scientists discover the chemical formula of water. Along the way, we will unpack the philosophical positions such as realism and pluralism, and compare Chang’s approach to the history of science with that of Kuhn’s. By the end of the course, you should have a better understanding of how science works.

Assignments & Means of Evaluation:

• Participation in class discussions/quizzes - 10%
• Weekly reading responses - 20%
• Midterm essay - 30%
• Final essay - 40%

Required Textbooks:

Kuhn’s The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, and Chang’s Is Water H2O?: Evidence, Realism and Pluralism.

Please note:  This is a preliminary web course outline only.  The Philosophy Department reserves the right to change without notice any information in this description.  The final, binding course outline will be distributed in the first class of the semester.