Spring, 2007
BIOL 419 or RLGN 419
Philosophy of Science
Instructors: Drs. Chadwick and Willis
Schedule: Tuesday, Thursday
Course Description: A study of the philosophies and methodologies of science. Science is a method of inquiry whose goal is to obtain knowledge about the natural world through experimentation. The philosophy of science is a discipline that deals with the epistemology of science itself. The discipline of philosophy of science examines science’s nature: its constituent methods and methodologies, its assumptions and limitations. Our study includes a review of the history of scientific and religious thought, their interactions and the role each has played in the development of modern theories of origin.
Textbooks: Brand. Faith, Reason, and
Earth History.
Objectives: This course is intended to acquaint the student with the modern philosophies of science and their applications and misapplications to problems of both a scientific nature and those that are outside the bounds of science. The student will become familiar with the literature in science and the philosophy and history of science, as well as with those figures who play a prominent role in these fields. It is expected that the student will come away from the class with a more mature mindset towards science. Issues on the frontiers and fringes of science will be confronted and this confrontation will encourage students to develop attitudes about problems they may have heretofore avoided.
General Requirements and Grading System:
1. Attendance and Participation: Attendance and active classroom participation will be expected. Although the grading of participation can be quite subjective, there are clear objective criteria for distinguishing between absent, present, but silent, present and participating solely for credit, and present and participating because, having thought through the issues, you have creative insights to share. Unnecessary absence is discouraged. It is almost impossible to experience philosophy from the reading of someone else's notes. Participation in class discussion is required. Grading will be on a point basis Attendance and Participation - 10%.
2. Exams: Two
unit exams and a final will be given. The final will include a third unit exam
and a comprehensive section covering the entire semester. These exams cover the
factual material presented in class and in the assigned readings over that
unit. Conceptual material is by its nature cumulative and some questions of
this sort will require integration of conceptual material covered in previous
units. Example: What is truth?
3. Reading Project: A project will be required from every student taking this class for credit. Grammar and syntax as well as spelling must be corrected and correct. This may entail rewriting until you have it right! This project will consist of reading books and articles from the Reading List not otherwise assigned or other materials approved in advance on a weekly basis at the following rate - Journals 30 pages or books 50 pages per week. A two page analysis giving the authors and titles and pages read and a description of what you learned from the reading (not a summary but a free wheeling interaction with the subject) must be turned in on Tuesday of each week. You may be quizzed over this outside reading material from time to time. The first reading report is due with lecture 3. Deduct 50% if late. Note that the Reading List includes a wide spectrum of choices, but is not intended to limit reading, only to give examples of the kinds of materials that are acceptable. You may scout in the appropriate sections of the library for something that interests you in this area. No more than two successive readings may be done from a single source.
Missing a deadline will lower your final grade by one letter for each deadline missed. No exceptions Reading Project - 20%
GRADING
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Grading System: |
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Letter Grades: |
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A. |
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Major tests |
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40% |
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A=90% and above |
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A. |
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Final exam |
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30% |
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B=80% and above |
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B. |
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Reading Project |
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20% |
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C=70% and above |
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C. |
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Attendance and |
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D=55% and above |
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participation |
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10% |
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F=below 55% |
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100% |
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Severe Weather Protocol
In the rare event of severe
weather, an announcement will be made between 9:00 and 10:30 p.m. indicating
that classes will be delayed or cancelled - or that the university will be open
as usual on the following day. If it is
not determined until early morning that classes must be delayed or cancelled,
an announcement will be made by 6:00 a.m.
You may check the following for official delay or closing announcements:
88.3 FM KJCR, NBC 5
KXAS TV, or the University
switchboard operator at
Lecture Schedule and
Lecture
Jan 8 - What is Philosophy? Document 1 Brand Fwd Preface
Jan 10 - The Nature of Philosophical Thought
Jan 15 - What is Science? Document 2 Brand 1
Jan 17 - The Nature of Scientific Thought Brand 2 Johnsn 1,2
Jan 22 - What is Religion?
Jan 24 - The Nature of Religious Thought Brand 6
Jan 29 - Limitations of Science Document 3
Jan 31 - History of Science-the Early Period Document 4 Brand 3
Feb 5 - History of Science-the Later Period Johnsn 5, 6
Feb 7 - Development of the Theory of Evolution - Roots Johnon 7, 8
Feb 12 - Development of the Theory of Evolution - Results Document 5
Feb 14 - Exam I
Section II Perspectives on Evolution, Earth History, and Geology and the Geology Minicourse
Feb 19 - Perspectives on Philosophy and Theology
Feb 21 - Perspectives on Science Johnson 3, 4
Feb 26 - Evolution and Speciation Document 6 Brand 8
Feb 28 - Micro- and Macroevolution Document 7 Brand 9
Mar 4 - Thomas Kuhn and a Revolutionary View of Science Document 8 Brand 4
Mar 6 - Geology Minicourse: Rocks and Minerals Brand 5
Mar 11 - Spring Break
Mar 13 - Spring Break
Mar 18 - Geology Minicourse: Sediment and Fossils Document 9 Johnson balance
Mar 20 - Origin of Life Document 10 Brand 7, 11
Mar 25 - Exam II
Section III. Scientific Perspectives on the Nature of Evidence and Earth History.
Mar 27 - Scientific Evidences and the C-E Controversy I Document 11 Brand 12
Apr 1 - Scientific Evidences and the C-E Controversy II Document 12 Brand 15
Apr 3 - Alternatives in Earth History: Biblical Perspectives Brand 13
Apr 8 - The Scriptural Account and Source Criticism Brand 5
Apr 10 - The origin of man Document 13 Brand 12
Apr 15 - Evidences II - Dimensionality and Complexity Document 14 Brand 14
Apr 17 - The Rocks Cry Out Brand 16
Apr 22 - Philosophy, Science and Religion Brand 17
Apr 24 - Conclusions
Final Exam will be in the location and at the time announced in the examination schedule
The following list of reading materials is only suggestive of the types of
books acceptable for the reading portion of this class.
Reading List
Author(s) Title Call#
Dembski, William A. Intelligent
design : the bridge between science & theology BL240.2 .D46 1999
Nash,
Ronald H.
Worldviews
in conflict : choosing Christianity in a world of ideas BT1102 .N37 1992
Aleksander,
Igor.
Designing
intelligent systems : an introduction.
Q335
A442 1984
Haken,
H.
Synergetics
: an introduction : nonequilibrium phase transitions aQ295 H35 1977
Waddington,
Conrad Hal, Tools for thought :
how to understand and apply the latest scientiQ295 W3 1977b
Iberall,
Arthur S.
Toward a
general science of viable systems
Q295
I24 1972
Barrow,
John D.
The
anthropic cosmological principle
BD511
B34 1986
Bunge,
Mario Augusto Causality and
modern science.
BD541
B85 1979
Moreland,
James Porter Christianity and
the nature of science.
BL240.2
M645 1989
Pagels,
Heinz R.
The cosmic
code : quantum physics as the language of nature. QC174.13 P33 1982
Cavalieri,
Liebe F
The
double-edged helix : science in the real world. Q175
C435 1981
LeGrand,
Homer Eugene Drifting
continents and shifting theories.
QE511.5
L44 1988
Knorr-Cetina,
K. (Karin) Epistemic cultures
: how the sciences make knowledge Q175.32.K45 K57 1999
Sokal,
Alan D.
Fashionable
nonsense : postmodern intellectuals' abuse of scieQ175 .S3695 1998
Hummel,
Charles E. The Galileo
connection : resolving conflicts betw. science & the Q125.2 H86 1986
Ken
Wilber (ed.)
The
Holographic paradigm and other paradoxes
Q175
H773 1982
Perutz,
Max F.
I wish
I'd made you angry earlier : essays on science, scientists, eQ175 .P386 1998
Kellert,
Stephen H. In the wake
of chaos : unpredictable order in dynamical systems. Q172.5 C45K45 1993
Medawar,
P. B.
The
limits of science
Q175
M433 1984
Butterfield,
Herbert, Sir The origins of
modern science: 1300-1800.
Q125
B97 1957
Stent,
Gunther Siegmund, Paradoxes of
progress
Q175.5
S74 1978
Bridges,
Horace James Taking the name of
science in vain.
B53
B8 1969
Kuhn,
Thomas S.
The
structure of scientific revolutions
Q175
K95 1970
Pennock,
Robert T Tower of
Babel : the evidence against the new creationism QH366.2 .P428 1999
Chargaff,
Erwin.
Voices
in the labyrinth : nature, man, and science
Q175.5
C49 1977
Greene,
John C
Science,
ideology, and world view : essays in the history of evol QH331 G727 1981
White,
Michael J.
The
continuous and the discrete : ancient physical theories from Q175 W569 1992
NABT
A
compendium of information on the theory of evolution and the QH362 N3C6 1977
Kitcher,
Philip
Abusing
science : the case against creationism
QH371
K57 1982
Mae
Ho, P T. Saunders eds. Beyond
neo-Darwinism : an introduction to the new evolutionary QH366.2 B486 1984
Peth,
Howard
Blind
faith : evolution exposed.
BL293
P4B5 1990
Dawkins,
Richard
The blind
watchmaker.
QH366.2
D37 1987
Huggett,
Richard J. Catastrophism
: systems of earth history.
QE506
H9 1990
Horigan,
James E Chance or
design?
BD511
H67
Darwin,
Charles
Charles
Darwin's notebooks, 1836-1844 : geology, transmutati QH365 Z9B37 1987
Wysong,
R. L.
The
creation-evolution controversy (implications, methodology QH325 W95 1976
Kofahl,
Robert E. The
creation explanation : a scientific alternative to evolution BS651 K63
Baker,
Alonza Lafayette Creation -
Not Evolution
BL263
B3C7
Zimmerman,
Paul Albert
Macbeth,
Marsh,
Frank Lewis Evolution,
creation and science
BL263
.M416
Marsh,
Frank Lewis Evolution
or special creation?
BL263M417
Eldredge,
Price,
George McCready Genesis
vindicated.
BL240
P74G4
Nichol,
Francis David God's
challenge to modern apostasy : a study of the three angels'BX6154 N53
Austin,
Steven A.
Utt,
Richard H
Creation
: nature's designs and designer
BL262
C742
Heinze,
Thomas F. The creation
vs. evolution handbook.
BS659
H4 1972
Numbers,
Ronald L. The
creationists.
BS651
N85 1992
Gentry,
Robert V. Creation's
tiny mystery.
QE
462 .G7G35 1986
Gilkey,
Langdon Brown Creationism on
trial : evolution and God at
Young,
Davis A.
Creation
and the flood : an alternative to flood geology and theistic BS657 Y68
Coffin,
Harold G.
Creation;
accident or design?
BS
650 .C6C7 1969
Rachels,
James,
Created from
animals : the moral implications of Darwinism. B818
R32 1990
Pun,
Pattle P. T.
Evolution
: nature and Scripture in conflict?
BS659
P86 1982
Patterson,
Colin
Evolution
QH366.2
.P37 1978
Denton,
Michael.
Evolution :
a theory in crisis
QH371
D46 1986
Davidheiser,
Spetner,
Lee M.
Not By
Chance.
Judaica
Press 1998.
Coffin,
Harold G.
Origin by
design
BS651
.C585 1983
Arthur,
Wallace
The
origin of animal body plans : a study in evolutionary developQH 491 A77 1997
Shapiro,
Robert
Origins : a
skeptic's guide to the creation of life on earth QH325 S47 1986
Dyson,
Freeman J. Origins of
life
QH325
.D88 1999
Miller,
Stanley L.
The
origins of life on the earth
QH325
M55 1974
Roth,
Ariel A
Origins,
Linking Science and Scripture
(in
library)
Wells,
Jonathan
Icons of
Evolution
(in
library)
Behe,
Michael