80-363 19th Century Foundations of Science

9 units, Carnegie Mellon University

Why do contemporary philosophers of science worry about the relationship between theory and evidence, or what is it for some event to cause another These issues are not new, but have a rich history in the debates among philosophers and scientists in the 19th and early 20th century. This course will explore the roots of contemporary debates in the works of Mill, Herschel, Whewell, Poincare Maxwell, Hertz, Duhem, and Mach. We will examine the issues of theories and evidence, scientific realism, the role of models in science, the role of mathematics in science, concepts of space and time, and ascription of causal relationships. The specific direction taken by the class will be determined, in part, by the interests of the students who enroll.

Prerequisites: none listed

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