Syllabus

Title
1336 Philosophy of Science
Instructors
ao.Univ.Prof. Dr. Gabriele Mras
Contact details
gabriele.mras@wu.ac.at
Type
PI SE
Weekly hours
2
Language of instruction
Englisch
Registration
09/06/16 to 11/18/16
Registration via LPIS
Notes to the course
Subject(s) Doctoral/PhD Programs
Philosophy of Science
Methodology and Theory
Dates
Day Date Time Room
Wednesday 11/23/16 04:15 PM - 08:00 PM D4.0.136
Saturday 11/26/16 11:00 AM - 04:45 PM TC.4.17
Wednesday 11/30/16 04:15 PM - 08:00 PM D3.0.222
Wednesday 12/07/16 04:15 PM - 08:00 PM EA.5.040
Wednesday 12/14/16 04:15 PM - 08:15 PM D3.0.222
Wednesday 12/21/16 04:15 PM - 06:30 PM TC.3.03
Wednesday 01/11/17 04:15 PM - 06:30 PM D3.0.222

On this page:

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Contents

Some perennial problems concerning the possibility of justifying scientific claims will be presented; the concept of 'causality' will be explicated, analysed and discussed; the consequences approaches in the philosophy of science have been drawn from these discussions will be pursued.

So we will begin with David Hume's treatment of causality in his "Sceptical doubts concerning the operations of the human understanding". Next, we will move on to John Stuart Mill’s conception of causality (i.e. his distinction between 'necessary and sufficient conditions') in his "Logic". The final part of this course will be devoted to the more modern ideas concerning causality ranging from Logical Empiricism to David Lewis' "possible worlds".

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Learning outcomes

Participants of this course are supposed to get familiar with the nature of scientific knowledge; i.e. what is to be acquired is knowledge about what distinguishes scientific claims from (mere) opinions, metaphysical statements or assertions of faith. At the end of this course one ought to be able to analyse and evaluate the most influential approaches of the philosophy of science and the ways in which the following questions have been pursued:

  1. What is the potential support of a scientific claim?
  2. What are the ways in which scientific claims could be used in order to formulate predictions?
  3. In which way does the formulation of a hypothesis depend on (1) and (2)?

It is essential for following this course to understand and appreciate the dilemmas involved in pursuing scientific questions.

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Teaching/learning method(s)

Lecture, text analysis, discussion;

This course is focused on r e a d i n g philosophical texts. The reading material is made available (see downloadable files). It is expected that everybody has read the texts to be discussed in class prior to our meetings. Everybody is also expected to participate actively in class.

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Assessment

Requirements and Assessment:

  1. A set of questions will be distributed every time in class; the questions are based on the argument structure of the class: 15%
  2. Class participation in general: 25%
  3. Final exam: 60% 

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Prerequisites for participation and waiting lists

Some knowledge in philosophy would be helpful, but is not required.

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Availability of lecturer(s)
Lecturer: ao.Univ.Prof.Dr. Gabriele M. Mras
Office hours: Thursday 11:45 - 12:45,
Building D4, 3rd floor, room number D4.3.020
Tel.: 01-31336-4257
Email: gabriele.mras@wu.ac.at

Administration: Bettina Gerdenich
Tel.: 01-31336-4166
Email: bettina.gerdenich@wu.ac.at
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Other
If there are any questions regarding administration, feel free to ask Mr. Patrick Lerch.
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Unit details
Unit Date Contents
1 23.11.2016/16:15–20:00

Intro to class, administrative details, course overview;

The questions we pursue are:

"What is science?", "What is it the aim of a philosophy of science?", "What corresponds to scientific statements?", "How could something to be show to correspond to these statements?"
2 26.11.2016/11:00–16:45

A) WHAT CORERSPONDS TO AN ANALYTIC STATEMENT / TO A SYNTHETIC STATEMENT?

  1. "What corresponds to an analytic statement?" "What is meant by "deduction"?
  2. "What are examples of fallacies in causal reasoning?" 

Readings:

B) THE CIRCLE OF INDUCTION

  1. David Hume's analysis of inductive reasoning.
  2. Consequences

Readings:
3 Saturday 2nd block

C) JOHN STUART MILL: NECESSARY AND SUFFICIENT CONDITIONS

  1. Causal dependencies and the idea of necessity.
  2. Mill’s distinction between necessary and sufficient conditions.
  3. Hausmann and Mill

Readings:
4 30.11.2016/16:15–20:00

D) LOGICAL EMPIRICISM AND ACTUAL NECESSITY

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

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

2. The distinction between meaningful and meaningless sentences.

  • Rudolf Carnap's criticism of metaphysics.
  • The "protocol sentence-debate" in the mid-30ies of the 20th century.

3. Application of thoughts and ideas concerning the limits of empirical confirmation (Philosophy of Science and Economics).

4. Logical Empiricists' understanding of causality and the philosophical criticism of this understanding. Stroud and Carnap. 

Readings:

  • Carnap, R.: What is Logical Analysis of Science? in: Hanfling O. (Ed.): Essential Readings in Logical Positivism; Oxford 1981, p. 112-129.
  • Carnap, R.: The Unity of Science; Bristol 1995, p. 42-52.
  • Stroud, B.: Causation; in: Engagement and Metaphysical Dissatisfaction. Modality and Value; Oxford, New York: Oxford University Press 2011, p. 20-58.
5 7.12.2016/16:15–19:15

E) THE PRINCIPLE OF FALSIFIABILITY

1. Karl Popper's principle of falsifiability.

  • Falsifiability in contrast to verifiability.
  • What is the problem of the "demarcation principle" as suggested by the "Vienna Circle"?
  • What is the modus tollens?

2. The Problem of The Empirical Basis

  • What are 'basic sentences'?
  • The distinction between justified, true, verified, falsified, verifiable, falsifiable, corroborated scientific statements.
  • The theory / observation dichotomy.

3. Popper's approach to causality

F) CAUSAL RELATIONS AND "POSSIBLE WORLDS"

Readings:
6 14.12.2016/16:15–20:30 Causality and Necessity
7 21.12.2017/16:15–18:30 Final Exam
8 11.01.2017/16:15-18:30 Final Exam II
Last edited: 2016-11-23



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