Critical Debates in the Philosophy of Science (PHIL*3170)

Term: Winter 2014

Details

This course provides a detailed case study in the realism/antirealism debate. It examines the development of our philosophical and scientific understanding of space, time and motion from ancient times to the present day. These are among the most important theoretical entities in science. Are they real? We begin with Plato and Euclid. We then focus on the metaphysics and epistemology of classical space in the work of Newton, Leibniz, Berkeley and Mach. Finally, we study more recent work of Poincaré and Einstein. The approach of the course is interdisciplinary, combining historical and philosophical perspectives with the scientists' own reflections. The course will investigate ways in which science and philosophy are, or should be, interdependent.

Syllabus

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PHIL3170 W14 Syllabus.pdf	19.93 KB