Week 1
|
Mon. 1/14 |
Wed. 1/16 |
Fri. 1/18 |
|
Course Introduction: Logical Positivism and the Philosophy of Science. |
Science and Mathematics. Thales, Pythagoras, and the discovery of form. "All is number." Diggins Chapters 8-9, 11-12 |
The Golden Mean. Diggins Ch. 15 |
Week 2
|
Mon. 1/21 |
Wed. 1/23 |
Fri. 1/25 |
|
The construction of the world out of numbers. Plato's Timaeus. |
The discovery of the Irrationals. Continuity in Ancient Mathematics, Diggins Ch. 14. Ch 16. |
Infinity in Ancient and Modern Science. "Aristotle on Zeno's paradoxes" or a short summary |
Week 3
|
Mon. 1/28 |
Wed. 1/30 |
Fri. 2/1 |
|
"Number" "Infinity" mini-texts. The paradoxes of Infinity. Cantor's redefinition of Infinity and the concept of number |
Cantor's redefinition of Infinity and the concept of
number. "Transfinite Numbers",
Rudy Rucker. The infinitesimal Calculus. |
Ancient Astronomy and the Phenomena to be dealt with. Eratosthenes measures the Globe, Diggins, Ch 17. Ptolemaic Astronomy. History of Physics Lectures, Sections 3, 4, 5, 8 required, especially 3*. |
Week 4
|
Mon. 2/4 |
Wed. 2/6 |
Fri. 2/8 |
|
Ptolemaic Astronomy. |
Copernican Astronomy. Copernicus's
Commentariolus.
|
Galileo and the Scientific Revolution. Galileo "Two Kinds of
Properties",
|
Week 5
|
Mon. 2/11 |
Wed. 2/13 |
Fri. 2/15 |
|
The Principle of Relativity. |
Newton's laws of Motion. Absolute Space and Time. Selections from Newton’s "Scholium on Absolute Space" . |
EXAM 1 |
Week 6
|
Mon. 2/18 |
Wed. 2/20 |
Fri. 2/22 |
|
Paradigms and Normal Science. Kuhn, The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, Ch. 1-2 Postscript |
Scientific Revolutions Kuhn Ch. 3-6 Introduction to Logical Positivism. "Logical Empiricism", "A short summary of Logical Positivism |
Scientific Discovery. Kuhn Ch.7-9.
|
Week 7
|
Mon. 2/25 |
Wed. 2/27 |
Fri. 2/29 |
|
Theories and World Views. Kuhn, Ch. 10-11 |
Progress through Revolutions. Kuhn, Ch. 12-14 |
No Class Contemporary issues in Realism and Anti-Realism. Richard Rorty, "Introduction to "The Consequences of Pragmatism"*
|
March 4 - March 8: MID-SEMESTER BREAK
Week 8
|
Mon. 3/10 |
Wed. 3/12 |
Fri. 3/14 |
|
The Science Wars. Daniel Dennett, “Faith in Truth” Thomas Nagel, “The Sleep of Reason”” |
Special Relativity, Albert Einstein “Relativity” Part I, Sections 1-10. |
Special Relativity. Space-Time diagrams “Relativity Tutorial” |
Week 9
|
Mon. 3/17 |
Wed. 3/19 |
Fri. 3/21 |
|
General Relativity Assignment 2 Due |
Quantum Mechanics.
|
EASTER BREAK
|
Week 10
|
Mon. 3/24 |
Wed. 3/26 |
Fri. 3/28 |
|
EASTER BREAK
|
Realism and Quantum Mechanics. Bell’s Theorem. David
Harrison "Bells Theorem" |
String Theory
Brian Greene, “A Theory of Everything” |
Week 11
|
Mon3/31 |
Wed. 4/2 |
Fri. 4/4 |
|
Darwin’s Theory of Evolution. Dennett, Darwin’s Dangerous Idea, |
Darwin’s Theory of Evolution. |
Evolution as Algorithm. Dennett Ch 3 and Ch 5. (Skip 4) |
Week 12
|
Mon. 4/7 |
Wed. 4/9 |
Fri. 4/11 |
|
The Origin of the Universe Dennett Ch. 7
|
Assignment 3 Due. William Lane Craig |
Functionalism and consciousness. The Chinese Room: Searle: “Minds, Brains, and Programs” or “The Chinese Room Homepage” |
Week 13
|
Mon. 4/14 |
Wed. 4/16 |
Fri. 4/18 |
|
The Evolution of Mind |
Gödel’s Theorem and the Mind. Dennett Ch. 15 |
The Game of Life and The Nature of Science. |
Week 14
|
Mon. 4/21 |
Wed. 4/23 |
Fri. 4/25 |
|
Time and Contingency in Biology. Gould, Times Arrow, Time's Cycle, Chapter 1, Chapter 2: (skip 51-57), |
Gould, Times Arrow, Time's Cycle, Ch. 5.
|
Science, Time, and Human Consciousness. Hoeg, Borderliners, pp. 1-158. |
Week 15
|
Mon. 4/28 |
Wed. 4/30 |
Fri. 5/2 |
|
Technology, Alienation, and Civilization. Hoeg, pp. 158-end.
|
Reading Day |
|
Final Exam Thursday May 8, 1:00 PM