Foundations of philosophy of science
Basic Information
Dates
Description
FOUNDATIONS OF PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE
2015-16, 1st term
THE PROBLEM OF SCIENTIFIC REALISM
José Díez, Carl Hoefer
1. Introduction: Anti/realism, its nature and scope
2. The problems of scientific realism
3. The context of scientific realism: theories and models
4. Arguments/motivations for SR/SA. Selective SR
5. SR in Physics
6. SR in Biology
7. Presentations
Methodology
The course will start with six introductory sessions giving a general overview of the problem and the background needed. In this part the student will have to do weekly short home exercises in order to assimilate the concepts and tools introduced.
In the second part of the course, every student will have to do a presentation of one paper of his/her choice, which will be followed by a general discussion. Before every presentation, all the students will have to deliver an answer to a short question about the paper that will be presented.
Every student will have to write a short final paper related to the paper presented, or other topic.
Evaluation
Grading will consist in weekly short questions (10%), class presentation (30%) and final paper (60%).
Intended Learning Outcomes:
CB6 – Students should be able to acquire and critically understand central philosophical theories in a way that puts them in a position to develop and apply original ideas.
CB9 - Students should be able to communicate their knowledge and their arguments to specialized audiences in a clear and articulate way.
CG1. To abstract, analyze and elaborate valid arguments and identify logical fallacies.
CG2. Design, create, develop and undertake new and innovative projects in their area of expertise.
CG3. Switching between the general and detailed discussion, providing real or imaginary examples able to support or refute the position at stake.
CG4. Working both independently and in a team in international contexts.
CG5. Identify methodological errors, rhetorical, conventional or uncritical assumptions, and vague or vacuous theses.
CE1. Recognize the concepts and methods of contemporary analytical philosophy and use them in the formulation and defense of philosophical proposals
CE2. Identify the core arguments and theories of contemporary theoretical philosophy.
CE4. Assess the writings of leading contemporary analytic philosophers.
CE5. Identify ideas on the most advance contemporary philosophical debate and research.
CE7. Using specialized, critical philosophical terminology.
Bibliography
Monographies
- A. Chakravartti, 2010, A Metaphysics for Scientific Realism: Knowing the Unobservable, Cambridge U. P.
- A. Diéguez, 1998, Realismo Científico: Una introducción al debate actual en la filosofía de la ciencia, U. de Málaga.
- B. Ellis, 2010, The Metaphysics of Scientific Realism, McGill
- A. Kukla, 1998, Studies in Studies in Scientific Realism, Oxford U. P.
- J. Leplin, 1997, A Novel Defense of Scientific Realism, Oxford U. P.
- I. Niiniluoto, 2002, Critical Scientific Realism, Oxford U.P.
- S. Psillos, 1999, Scientific Realism: How Science Tracks Truth , Routledge.
- N. Rescher, 1987, Scientific Realism, Springer.
- E. Rojas, 2011, El realismo científico y el conocimiento de los inobservables: ¿estamos justificados en creer en las entidades inobservables que las teorías científicas postulan?, Ed Académica Española.
- H. Shanke, 2008, Scientific Realism and the Rationality of Science, Ashgate.
Articles
- Boyd, R. N., 1983, ‘On the Current Status of the Issue of Scientific realism’, Erkenntnis, 19: 45–90.
- Carnap, R., 1950, ‘Empiricism, Semantics and Ontology’, Revue Intérnationale de Philosophie, 4: 20–40. Reprinted in Carnap, R. 1956: Meaning and Necessity: A Study in Semantic and Modal Logic, Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
- Chakravartty, A., 1998, ‘Semirealism’, Studies in History and Philosophy of Science, 29: 391–408.
- Chakravartty, A., 2008, ‘What You Don't Know Can't Hurt You: Realism and the Unconceived’, Philosophical Studies,137: 149–158.
- Egg, M, 2012, 'Causal Warrant for Realism about Particle Physics', Journal for General Philosophy of Science
December 2012, Volume 43, Issue 2, pp 259-280.
- Ellis, B., 1985, ‘What Science Aims to Do’, in Churchland et alt (eds.), Images of Science
- Fine, A., 1986, ‘Unnatural Attitudes: Realist and Antirealist Attachments to cience’, Mind, 95: 149–177.
- Frigg, R. and Votsis, I. ‘Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Structural Realism But Were Afraid to Ask', European Journal for Philosophy of Science 1, 2011, 227–276,
- Giere, R., 1985, 'Constructive Empiricism', in Churchland et alt (eds.), Images of Science
- Hacking, I., 1985, ‘Do We See Through a Microscope?’, in Churchland & Hooker (eds.), Images of Science: Essays on Realism and Empiricism, (with a reply from Bas C. van Fraassen), Chicago: University of Chicago Press. - Laudan, L., 1981, ‘A Confutation of Convergent Realism’, Philosophy of Science, 48: 19–48.
- Hoefer, C. –Marti, G. (2015): "Taking the PhySicS out of SR (or: Selective SR Done Right)", manuscript
- Kitcher, P., 2001, ‘Real Realism: The Galilean Strategy’, The Philosophical Review, Vol. 110, No. 2 (Apr., 2001), pp. 151-197
- Kuhlman, M., 2012, 'Quantum Field Theory', Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/quantum-field-theory/
- Ladyman, J., 1998, ‘What is Structural Realism?’, Studies in History and Philosophy of Science, 29: 409–424.
- Laudan, L., 1981, ‘A Confutation of Convergent Realism’, Philosophy of Science, 48: 19–48.
- Leplin, J., 1981, ‘Truth and Scientific Progress’, Studies in History and Philosophy of Science, 12: 269–292.
- Lyons, T., Scientific Realism and the Stratagema de Divide et Impera, Brit. J. Phil. Sci. 57 (2006), 537–560
- Maxwell, G., 1962, ‘On the Ontological Status of Theoretical Entities’, in H. Feigl & G. Maxwell (eds.), Scientific Explanation, Space, and Time, Minnesota Studies in the Philosophy of Science, Volume III, Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press.
- Papineau, D., 2010, ‘Realism, Ramsey Sentences and the Pessimistic Meta-Induction’, Studies in History and Philosophy of Science, 41: 375–385.
- Peters, D., 2014, What Elements of Successful Scientific Theories Are the Correct Targets for “Selective”
Scientific Realism?, Philosophy of Science, Vol. 81, No. 3 (July 2014), pp. 377-397
- Psillos, S. 1999, 'Resisting the pessimistic induction', ch. 5 of Scientific Realism,
- Psillos, S, 2000, 'Empiricism vs Scientific Realism: Belief in Truth Matters', International Studies in the Philosophy of Science, 14, pp.57-75.
- Psillos, S. 2011, ‘Realism with Humean face’, in French and Saatsi (eds.) Continuum Companion to the Philosophy of Science.
- Stanford, P., 2003, 'Pyrrhic Victories for Scientific Realism’, Journal of Philosophy, 100: 553–572.
- Van Fraassen, B., 1976, ‘To Save the Phenomena’, Journal of Philosophy, 73/18, 623-32 (reprinted as ch. 3 of The Scientific Image)
- Van Fraassen, B., 1980, ‘Arguments Concernig Scientific Realism’, ch. 2 of The Scientific Image)
- Van Fraassen, B., 1982, ' The Charybdis of realism: Epistemological implications of Bell's inequality', July 1982, Volume 52, Issue 1, pp 25-38.
- Vickers, J. 2013, A Confrontation of Convergent Realism, Source: Philosophy of Science, Vol. 80, No. 2 (April 2013), pp. 189-211
- Worrall, J., 1989, ‘Structural Realism: The Best of Both Worlds?’, Dialectica, 43: 99–124