Date

Topic

Reading

Writing due

January 12

Introduction

none

Introduction sheet (in class)

January 19

No class – M.L.King Day

Below: WT= How to Think About Weird Things

CPSS= Contemporary Philosophy of Social Science

January 26

Cartesian doubt; skepticism; relativism; science

Descartes, Meditations 1 and 2 (online); WT, forward (pp.vii-viii); CPSS, Introduction (pp.1-8). 

Response paper

February 2

Facts, logic, paradigms, possibilities, bias

WT, Chapters 1 and 2, look on the web for discussions of bias in the news media (see links here for a start)

Response paper

February 9

Personal experience; solipsism; understanding people

WT, Chapter 3; CPSS, Chapter 1

Response paper

February 16

Knowledge and belief

WT, Chapter 5; "Recognizing Propoganda"

Response paper; Discussion Project

February 23

Deduction and Induction; Hume’s moderate skepticism

WT Chapter 6; Hume, Inquiry Concerning Human Understanding, selections (on line - links here)

Response paper; Discussion Project

March   1

Science and pseudoscience

WT, Chapter 7

1^st short essay; Response paper; Discussion Project

March 8

No class - Spring Break

March 15

Science and paradigms

Kuhn, Structure of Scientific Revolutions 1^st half (Read as much as you can through page 91 -- at least Chapters II, III, VI, and VIII); Notes and Study Questions

Response paper; 1^st exam (in class); Possible exam questions

March 22

Scientific revolutions, progress and rationality

Kuhn, Structure of Scientific Revolutions 2nd half (at least Chapters IX, X, and XIII)

Response paper

March 29

Kuhn and his critics

Steven Weinberg, “On Scientific Revolutions” (on line here); Kuhn, Postscript to Structure… Study questions

Response paper

April     5

Relativism, perspectivism, truth

WT, Chapter 4 and pp. 250-257; CPSS, Chapter 4

Response paper

April   12

  Knowing people: Culture, rationality, and false consciousness

CPSS, Chapters 3, 5, and 6

Response paper

April   19

Narrative knowledge and Women's ways of knowing 

Nessa McHugh, “Women’s Stories”; Dinshaw K. Dadahanji, "The Cultural Challenge to Scientific Knowledge”; Patricia Hill Collins, "Toward an Afrocentric Feminist Epistemology" Elizabeth Anderson, “Feminist Epistemology” ; CPSS, Chapter 8 and 9; 

 Response paper

April 26

Fallibilism, objectivity, truth

CPSS, Chapters 10 and 11

2^nd short essay; Response paper

May 3

Wrap up, final exam

none

2^nd exam (in class) Possible questions here