Philosophy of Science Comprehensive Exam Reading List

(An asterisk* indicates that the work is available, in whole or suitable abridgment, in Philosophy of Science, eds. Curd and Cover (Norton, 1998.) Two asterisks** indicate that the work is available, in whole or suitable abridgment, in The Philosophy of Science, eds. Boyd, Gasper, and Trout (MIT Press, 1993.))

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1. The Empiricist Background
1. John Passmore, A Hundred Years of Philosophy [1843-1963]: Penguin Books, 1968. Ch 16, "Logical Positivism."
2. Explanation
1. C. Hempel, "Deductive-Nomological vs. Statistical Explanation." In H. Feigl and G. Maxwell, eds., Minnesota Studies in Philosophy of Science, Vol. 3, 98-169
2. Scriven, "Explanations, Predictions and Laws", in Feigl and Maxwell (eds), Minnesota Studies in the Philosophy of Science, Vol 3: University of Minnesota Press, 1962. p 170-230.
3. W. Salmon, Scientific Explanation and the Causal Structure of the World, ch. 2
4. P. Kitcher, "Explanatory Unification,"**
5. Bas van Fraassen, "Pragmatics of Explanation"**
6. C. Hempel, "The Logic of Functional Analysis," Aspects of Scientific Explanation, pp. 297-330.
3. Causality and the Laws of Nature
1. N. Goodman, Fact, Fiction and Forecast, 4th ed., chapters 1 and 2.
2. W. Salmon, Scientific Explanation Causal Structure of the World, chapters 5 and 6.
3. D. Lewis, Counterfactuals, 3.3
4. D. Armstrong, What is a Law of Nature, chapter 6.
4. Reduction
1. Putnam & Oppenheim, "Unity of Science"**
2. Fodor, "Special Sciences"**
3. E. Nagel, The Structure of Science, ch. 11.
4. P. Kitcher, "1953 and All That"*,**
5. L. Darden & N. Maull, "Interfield Theories." Philosophy of Science 43 (1977): 44-64.
5. Induction and Confirmation
1. Duhem, Aim & Structure of Physical Theory: Princeton University Press, 1954. Part 2, Ch VI.1-4. p180-195.
2. C. Hempel, "Studies in the Logic of Confirmation." in Aspects of Scientific Explanation, 3-51; also in**, 258-278.
3. N. Goodman, Fact, Fiction and Forecast, 4th ed., chapters 3 and 4.
4. K. Popper, "Science: Conjectures and Refutations" in Popper, Conjectures and Refutations, 33-65.
5. Earman & Salmon, "Confirmation of Scientific Hypotheses" §2.1-2.4, 2.9-11 in Merrilee Salmon et al, Introduction to the Philosophy of Science: Prentice-Hall, 1992. p 42-55, 89-100.
6. C. Howson and P. Urbach, Scientific Reasoning, 1st ed., chapters 3 and 4.
7. S. Brush, "Prediction and Theory Evaluation-The Case of Light Bending," Science 1989: 1124-1129.
6. Scientific Change
1. T. Kuhn, The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, chapters 9 and 10; alternatively, selections*,**
2. D. Shapere, "Meaning and Scientific Change," in E. Colodny, ed., Mind and Cosmos.
3. Lakatos, "Falsification and The Methodology of Scientific Research Programmes," in Lakatos and A. Musgrave, eds., Criticism and the Growth of Knowledge, 91-196
4. P. Feyerabend, "How to be a Good Empiricist"*
5. Gutting, G.: "Conceptual structures and scientific change," Studies in History and Philosophy of Science, 1980; pp 209-230.
7. Scientific Realism
1. B van Fraassen, The Scientific Image, chs 1, 2 & 3.
2. E. McMullin, "A Case for Scientific Realism," in Leplin, ed. Scientific Realism.
3. L. Laudan, "A Confutation of Convergent Realism,"*
4. J. Leplin, A Novel Defense of Scientific Realism, chapters 3 and 5.
5. A. Fine, "The Natural Ontological Attitude," in Leplin, ed.

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