Topic outline

  • General

    Teacher: Valia Allori

    Course code: 180009-EN1

  • Science and pseudoscience

    Reading list

    o   Popper, “Science: Conjectures and Refutations,” 3

    o   Kuhn, “Logic of Discovery or Psychology of Research?” 11

    o   Lakatos, “Science and Pseudoscience,” 20

    Page numbers are from "Philosophy of Science, the Central Issues" 2nd ed. 


  • Rationality and objectivity in science


    o   Kuhn, “The Nature and Necessity of Scientific Revolutions,” 79

    o   Kuhn, “Objectivity, Value Judgment, and Theory Choice,” 94

    o   McMullin, “Rationality and Paradigm Change in Science,” 111

    o   Laudan, “Kuhn’s Critique of Methodology,” 131


    • Underdetermination


      o   Duhem, “Physical Theory and Experiment,” 227

      o   Quine, “Two Dogmas of Empiricism,” 250

      o   Gillies, “The Duhem Thesis and the Quine Thesis,” 271

      o   Laudan, “Demystifying Underdetermination,” 288


    • Induction, Prediction, Confirmation


      o   Lipton, “Induction,” 390

      o   Popper, “The Problem of Induction,” 406

      o   Salmon, “Rational Prediction,” 412

      o   Hempel, “Criteria of Confirmation and Acceptability,” 424

      o   Goodman, “The New Riddle of Induction,” 451

      o   Salmon, “Rationality and Objectivity in Science or Tom Kuhn Meets Tom Bayes,” 518