PHIL 2130 Philosophy of the Sciences 1 st

PHIL 2130 Philosophy of the Sciences 1 st half by Wai-man Kwok Email: wmkwok@gmail. com Course Web-site http: //philosophy. hku. hk/courses/200506/phil 2130/ 1

Short Paper • Topics should be related to my three main topics. – Examples in a moment. – Approval for the topic required. • Other requirements: – Typed but not hand-written – No. of words: 2000 – 2500 – Word count at the end. 2

• Marking Criteria: – Clarity – Reasoning – Originality – Quality! • Submission deadline: – 1 December (my last lecture: 1 November). – Submitted through email. 3

• Suggested references: – Grammatical or stylistic problems in English writing • Elements of Style by William Strunk Jr. (the absolute bible for all writers, some say) • Grammar and Style Notes by Jack Lynch (a simplified, shorter and more modern approach) – Real ambition on writing a good philosophy paper! • “Writing a Philosophy Paper” • “Checklist for Writing Philosophy Papers” 4

The Three Main Topics • 1. Science & its pretenders – What are the criteria for choosing among rival hypotheses? • Paper topic examples: – Is parapsychology a science? – Creationism vs Evolution – a Critical Analysis – Simplicity – its Status as a Criterion for Scientific Theories 5

• 2. Realism vs. antirealism – Do unobservable theoretical entities like electrons really exist? • Paper topic examples: – In Support of Realism – Half-realism & Half-antirealism – Realism vs. Antirealism – a Pseudo-dispute 6

• 3. Newton vs. Leibniz on space – Does space have an absolute existence over and above the spatial relations among objects, or does it consist simply of the totality of such relations? 7

• Paper topic examples: – A Critical Examination of Newton’s Arguments – The Role of Time in the Dispute between Newton and Leibniz – Can Space Exist Alone? – Some Lessons from Modern Physics 8

Your Views about the Course & Knowledge about the Topics • Expectations • Preferences • Suggestions • Pls be reasonable & realistic. 9

• Your knowledge and/or views about the three main topics: – 1. Science & its pretenders • What are the criteria for choosing among rival hypotheses? – 2. Realism vs. antirealism • Do unobservable theoretical entities like electrons really exist? – 3. Newton vs. Leibniz on space • Does space have an absolute existence over and above the spatial relations among objects, or does it consist simply of the totality of such relations? 10