Phil 125: Philosophy of Science
Fall, 2025
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Readings

Thursday, September 25
: (no reading, first class).
Friday, September 26
: World Cassowary Day

Part I: Carnap/Goodman/Quine
 
Tuesday, September 30
: Carnap, Aufbau, Preface to 1st Edition (pp. xv–xviii); §§1–5 (pp. 5–10); §§17–25 (pp. 31–43).
Wednesday, October 1
: (10:40am–12:15pm) Carnap, Aufbau, §§26–41 (pp. 47–70); §§46–60 (pp. 78–97). ( Zoom only.)
Thursday, October 2
: No class due to due to Yom Kippur.
Monday, October 6
: (10:40am–12:15pm) Carnap, Aufbau, §61 (pp. 98–9); §67 (pp. 107–9); §75 (122-4); §78 (127–8); §§95–6 (pp. 152–4); §§98–103 (pp. 156–63); §§125–8 (pp. 194–9); §157 (p. 246); §§160–61 (pp. 254–7); §§165–9 (pp. 263–72). ( Zoom only.)
Tuesday, October 7
: No class due to due to the first day of Sukkot.
Thursday, October 9
: Carnap, Aufbau, §§175–83 (pp. 281-98).
Monday, October 13
: (10:40am–12:15pm) Carnap, The Unity of Science, §§1–3 and 6; Neurath, “Protocol Sentences”; Carnap, “On Protocol Sentences.” ( Zoom only.)
Tuesday, October 14
: No class due to due to Shemini Atzeret.
Thursday, October 16
: Goodman, Fact, Fiction, and Forecast, ch. 2, §§1–3 and 5 (pp. 31–49 and 57–8).
Tuesday, October 21
: Goodman, Fact, Fiction, and Forecast, ch. 3 and beginning of ch. 4 (pp. 59–99).
Thursday, October 23
: Quine, “Epistemology Naturalized.”

Part II: Popper/Kuhn
 
Tuesday, October 28
: Popper, LSD, ch. 1 and 2 (pp. 3–34).
Thursday, October 30
: Popper, LSD ch. 3 (pp. 37–56).
Tuesday, November 4
: Popper, LSD, ch. 4 (pp. 57–73) (and Midterm assignment — exam or paper — due).
Thursday, November 6
: Popper, LSD, ch. 5 (pp. 74–94).
Tuesday, November 11
: No class (Veterans Day)
Thursday, November 13
: Popper, LSD, ch. 10 beginning and §79 (pp. 248–52); §82 (pp. 264–7); §84 through end (including Addendum), pp. 273–82.
Tuesday, November 18
: Neurath, “Pseudorationalism of Falsification”; Putnam “The ‘Corroboration’ of Theories”; Lakatos, “Popper on Demarcation and Induction,” through end of part I (pp. 241–52).
Thursday, November 20
: Kuhn, SSR, ch. 1–5, pp. 1–51.
Tuesday, November 25
: Kuhn, SSR, ch. 6–8, pp. 52–91.
Thursday, November 27
: No class (Thanksgiving)
Tuesday, December 2
: Kuhn, SSR, ch. 9–10, pp. 92–135.
Thursday, December 4
: Kuhn, SSR, ch. 11–13, pp. 136–73.
Tuesday, December 9
: In-person final exam, and final assignment (exam or paper) due.

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