Intro to class, administrative details, course overview;

The questions we will pursue are:

"What is Science?" , What is it the aim of a p h i l o s o p h y of science?, "What is knowledge?", "How could something to be shown to be knowledge?"

ARGUMENT, PROOF, VALIDITIY

What is an argument?, What is meant by "Deduction" , what are fallacies, examples of;

THE CIRCLE OF INDUCTION

a.  David Hume's analysis of inductive reasoning, b. Inductive vs. deductive reasoning, the problem of induction, the "principle of uniformity", c.  Discussion: Is empirical knowledge justified by inductive reasoning? Should it be? lf not, what prospects are left for justifying empirical statements?

Readings:Hume's Enquiry, Section IV: Sceptical Doubts (Reader)

CAUSAL RELATIONS

a. Causal Dependencies and the Idea of Necessity, b  Mills' distinction between necessary and sufficient conditions

Readings:Skyrms, B.: Mill's Methods of Experimental Inquiry and the Nature of Causality; in: Skyrms B.: Choice and Chance, An Introduction to inductive Logic; Stanford 2000 (Reader) Davidson, D.: Causal Relations; in: Davidson, D.: Essays an Actions and Events; Oxford 1980; p. 149 - p. 162 (Reader)

LOGICAL EMPIRICISM AND THE CONDITIONS OF THE POSSIBILITY TO SHOW THAT A THEORY HAS AN EMPIRICAL CONTENT

1. The idea of confirmation versus the aim of proving a theory to be true

a. The Vienna Circle' and the principle of verifiability, b. What is verifiability?, what are singular consequences of hypothetical statements, what is meant by '"reduction of general sentence: to observational sentences"?, c. what are the basic properties of observation sentences or "protocol sentences"

2. The distinction between meaningful and meaningless sentences

a.  Rudolf Carnap's criticism of metaphysics,  b. The "protocol sentence-debate" in the mid-30thies of the 20th century.

Readings:Carnap, R.: What is Logical Analysis of Science? in: Hanfling O. (Ed.) Essential Readings in Logical Positivism; Oxford 1981 (Reader) Carnap, R.: The Unity of Science, Bristol 1995 (Reader) Hempel, C.G.: Rudolf Carnap - Logical Empiricist; in: Hintikka, J. (Ed.): Rudolf Carnap, Logical Empiricist; Dordrecht 1975.(Reader,)

THE PRINCIPLE OF FALSIFIABILITY  - "KRITISCHER RATIONALISMUS"

Karl Popper's principle of falsifiability

1. a. falsifiability in contrast to verifiability, b. What is the problem of the "demarcation principle" as suggested by the "Vienna Circle"?, c. What is the modus tollens?, d. What are 'basic sentences'?, d. The distinction between justified, true, verified, falsified, verifiable, falsifiable, corroborated scientific statements,

Readings:Popper, K.: Extracts from The Logic of Scientific Discovery; London, New York 2004 (Reader)Chalmers, A. F.: Introducing falsificationism; from Chalmers A.F.: What is this thing called Science? Maidenhead 1982, (Reader)

THE PRINCIPLE OF FALSIFIABILITY  - "KRITISCHER RATIONALISMUS"

Karl Popper's principle of falsifiability

2. a Lakatos criticism, falsifiability vs. falsification, b. the theory / observation dichotomy, c. again: the idea of negative existential claims as test for hypotheses

Readings:Popper, K.: Extracts from The Logic of Scientific Discovery; London, New York 2004 (Reader)Chalmers, A. F.: Introducing falsificationism; from Chalmers A.F.: What is this thing called Science? Maidenhead 1982, (Reader)