Introduction to
the History and Philosophy of Science

Course Description

Science and technology have become defining features of modern life. In this course, we will explore aspects of the history of human thought about the natural world and philosophical ideas about the special status of scientific knowledge by focusing attention on four episodes in the history of science - the development of rational and mathematical accounts of the world in the ancient and medieval periods, the transformation of this approach through experimentation in the early modern period that resulted in the Newtonian physics, the rise of the theory of evolution by natural selection and, finally, the development of the new physics of the early 20th century.

We will examine these topics in the history of science using themes in contemporary philosophy of science. While the topics of the lectures are structured around episodes and figures in the history of science, each class we will also reflect on how the history of science has been used by philosophers of science to provided examples for the key themes in the philosophy of science, such as the relationship between theory and evidence, the verifiability or falsifiability of theories and the historical contingency of scientific practice.

Students who apply themselves in this class will learn the broad chronological development of the physical sciences, how to appreciate science as a social institution, and obtain insight into major shifts in overall worldview that have taken place in conjunction with the growth of the sciences.

Required Texts

Richard DeWitt, 2018, Worldviews: An Introduction to History and Philosophy of Science, Third Edition (or Second Edition) (Wiley-Blackwell: New York). (To be purchased from the Co-op.)

David Lindberg, 1992, The Beginnings of Western Science, (UCP: Chicago), chap. 8, “Science in Islam” (Download, below.)

Suggested Reading

中山 茂『パラダイムでたどる科学の歴史』ベレ出版、2011。

Peter Galison, 2008, Ten Problems in the History and Philosophy of Science, Isis, 99: 111-124.

Grading

Active participation (in-class discussion)	30%
Midterm exam (in-class)	35%
Final exam (in-class)	35%

Exams

Both exams will be in-class format. You will have 100 minutes to write the exams. Electronic aids (devices, dictionaries, etc.) will not be allowed during the exam, but you may use a paper dictionary if needed. There will be three possible sections: multiple choice or connections (final only), short answers (1-2 sentences), full descriptions (2-3 paragraphs).

General Format

The class meets once a week for a lecture. Students are expected to attend the lectures, engage in class discussions, and write a midterm and final exam. After each lecture, there will be a short discussion period for student participation based on questions that I will post in class.

Classroom Etiquette

Please follow basic rules of decorum – do not sleep, eat, or carry on individual conversations in class. Finally, DO NOT use mobile phones, smart phones, or laptops in class. (Unfortunately, a large percentage of students use their laptops to do unrelated things during class, and this distracts both them and everyone around and behind them.) I will be very strict about enforcing the rule about devices and laptops, so if you feel that you must use devices, I encourage you to enroll in a different class.

Discussion Topics, Readings and Assignments

Week 1: Oct 7

Introduction to history of science

Reading: DeWitt chap. 1.

Introduction to thinking about science in history

Week 2: Oct 14

Introduction to philosophy of science

Reading: DeWitt chaps. 2-4.

Introduction to philosophy of science

Week 3: Oct 21

Aristotle’s natural philosophy

Reading: DeWitt chaps. 9-12.

Suggested activities: Go to You Tube and search for “The Mark Steel Lectures-Aristotle” (parts 1-3) and listen to the talk, which discusses a number of Aristotle’s political and social ideas that are not included in my lecture.

Aristotle’s natural philosophy

Week 4: Oct 28

Ptolemy’s mathematical cosmology

Reading: DeWitt chaps. 13 and 5.

Supplementary reading (optional): Sidoli, Fundamentals of Planetary Theory (from Hellenistic Astronomy: A Brill Companion).

Ptolemy’s cosmology

Holiday: Nov 4 (早稲田祭)

No Class

No Reading.

Week 5: Nov 11

Science in the Islamic Middle Ages

Reading: Lindberg, D., Science in Islam.

Supplementary reading (optional): Sidoli, Translations in the mathematical sciences (from Routledge Handbook on the Sciences in the Islamicate World).

Science in Medieval Islam

Week 6: Nov 18

The European Renaissance
Short movie: William Harvey and the Circulation of the Blood (38 min)

Reading: DeWitt chaps. 7 and 8.

Movie: The documentary on William Harvey can be viewed online at the Wellcome Collection. A transcript of the movie can also be downloaded. The movie can also be viewed on YouTube here.

Primary source for Harvey: De motu cordis. The English translation follows the Latin.

Suggested Reading: A recent news article by M. Schulz discusses a current project that uses Ptolemy’s Geography to study the history of ancient Germany.

Science in the European Renaissance

Week 7: Nov 25

The new astronomy

Reading: DeWitt chaps. 14-16.

The new astronomy (No movie files)

Week 8: Dec 2 (Midterm exam)

In-class midterm exam.

No reading.

Week 9: Dec 9

Francis Bacon
Galileo’s physical cosmology (Movie, part 1)

Reading: DeWitt 17 and 18.

Further listening: For a BBC radio program on Francis Bacon see In Our Time, Thu, 2 Apr 2009.

For an attempt by modern observers to recreate what Galileo saw with his telescope see the website What Galileo Saw (Tom Pope and Jim Mosher).

Francis Bacon

Week 10: Dec 16

Galileo’s realist arguments (Movie, part 2)

Reading: A slightly edited version of Galileo’s The Starry Messenger. (Although not required reading, a full English translation that corresponds to the pagination of the Latin original is also provided, Translation of Sidereus Nuncius)

To see images of the 1610 original edition, visit the Linda Hall Library of Sciencewebpage. Take a look at the images in this text. The text itself is in Latin.

Galileo’s arguments

Week 11: Dec 23

Newton (Movie)

Reading: DeWitt chaps. 19, 20 and 22.

Newton’s mathematical physics

Holiday: Dec 30

No Class

No Reading.

Week 12: Jan 6

The theories of relativity

Reading: DeWitt chaps. 23 and 24.

Suggested website: Einstein in Japan and Palestine.

Einstein’s theory of relativity

Holiday: Jan 13 (成人の日)

No Class

No Reading.

Week 13: Jan 20

Quantum theory

Reading: DeWitt chap. 25 (or 26 in the Second Edition).

Quantum theory

Week 14: Jan 27 (Final exam)

In-class final exam.

No reading.