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To ? 

SENATE ? 

From ? 

STUDIES 

COMMITTEE ON UNDERGRADUATE 

STUDIES 

NEW COURSE PROPOSAL - GENERAL STUDIES 

Subject 

?

104-3 - THE SCI ENT 

TPT( FTMflS ?

Date _MARCH 18.1974 

MOTION 1. ? 

"That .Senate approve, as set forth in S.74-47, 

the new course proposal for General Studies 

104-3 - The Scientific Ethos." 

If Motion 1 passes, 

MOTION 2. 

?

"That Senate waive the normal two semester 

. ?

time lag requirement in order that this course 

maybe first offered in the Fall semester 74-3." 

SiMON FRASER

£ ...uka

UNIVERSITY

S.74-47

The attached course proposal, submitted by the Faculty of 

Interdisciplinary Studies, for a course entitled General Studies 

104-3; ,The Scientific Ethos has been approved by the Senate Conindttee 

on Undergraduate Studies and is now forwarded to Senate for its 

consideration. 

It should be noted that, during the discussion of this 

course, the Committee questioned, among others, the following 

points: 

1.

apparent overlap with courses offered in other 

areas of the University. In this connection, 

the Committee was satisfied that consultation 

. ?

with the Department of Philosophy had taken 

place and that that Department had examined the 

course proposal and concurred with its being 

offered in the Faculty of Interdisciplinary 

Studies. 

2.

the question of the course title. Concern was 

expressed that the title did not accurately 

reflect the content and purpose of the course; 

but' a majority of the Committee was finally 

satisfied that the title and description as 

proposed would be sufficient. 

I.Mugri e 

:arns 

• ?

. SiMON FRASER UNIVERSITY

7#f

MEMORANDUM

To ..........

..........Mr.H.Evans.Registrarand

on Undergraduate Studies.

Subject

......................................................................................................................

From..... . ..... R.....

C.-Brown,,

Dean .............................................

Faculty of Interdisciplinary Studies.

Date

............................... ..............

The attached new course proposal, G. S. 104-3,

The Scientific Ethos, is forwarded to you for consideration by the Senate

Committee on Undergraduate Studies. Would you please place it on the

agenda.

hoC

Enclosure.

l,S71;- l%

SENATE COMMITTEE ON UNDERGRADUATE STUDIES

NFM COURSE PROPOSAL FORM

i

sCalendar Information 

?

Department: 

lID Studies 

Abbreviation Code: 

G.S. ? 

Course Number: 

—

104

?

Credit Hours: 3 ? 

Vector: 

3-0-0 

Title of Course: 

The Scientific Ethos 

Calendar Description of Course: 

This course will examine contemporary ethical 

approaches to the relationships existing between science, technology and society. 

These will be examined historically and by a study of contemporary case histories. 

Nature of Course 

Lecture/Tutorial 

Prerequisites (or special instructions): 

None 

What course (courses), if any, s .eing dropped from the calendar if this course is 

approved: ? 

None 

2. Scheduling 

How frequently will the-course be offered? 

?

Yearly 

Semester in which the course will first be offered? 

?

74-3 

Which of your present faculty wc..zii: be available to make the proposed offering 

possible? 

?

None - part-time faculty addition. 

Objectives of the Course 

?

See attached 

4.

Budgetary and Space Requirements (for information only) 

What additional resources will be required in the following areas: 

Faculty 

114 Sessional Lectureship, on an annual basis 

Staff 

Library See attached book list. 

Audio Visual 

Space 

Equipment 

5.

Approval 

Date:______________________ 

Department Chairman 

?

Dean 

?

Chairman, SCUS 

SCUS 73-34b:-'(When completing this form, for instructions see Memorandum SCUS 73-34a. 

Attach course outline). 

PFA

3. Objectives of the Course 

?

a. ? 

1) ? 

Objectives 

This course will examine contemporary ethical-approaches to 

the relationships existing between science, technology and society. 

These will be examined historically and by study of contemporary 

case histories. 

This course is intended for both arts and science majors; it 

is not an introductory science course for arts students. It is 

hoped that a mixed student enrolment will encourage more lively 

discussion of the proposed topics. The aim of the course is to 

give students some understanding of the rise of scientific optim- 

ism in western society; to study the present role of science and 

to determine how far this optimism is justified; and to evaluate 

the criticisms of science and technology coming from various quart- 

ers. The case histories will be given only a skeletal scientific. 

treatment, rather the choices open to society in various areas 

will be stressed. The main objective of this combined historical, 

philosophical and scientific approach is to give students a broad- 

er base from which to form their own opinions on present and 

future science policy. 

a.

?

2) ? 

Outline 

.

?

? The 

B

aconian ethic that the purpose of science is "the relief 

of Man's estate" and the Enlightenment concept of man's progress 

toward perfection will be traced, briefly, to their modern variants. 

The course consists of three main sections: 

i)

Historical 

It is proposed to examine both original sources and modern 

commentary sources in order to outline the historical attitudes to 

science from the seventeenth to the twentieth centàry. Approximate- 

ly

one quarter of the course time will be spent in this area and 

the students will be expected to write an essay relevant to this 

section. 

ii)

Contemporary 

An analysis of contemporary attitudes towards science will 

be made. .Different views will be discussed ranging from those 

found in official government documents to those held by racUcal 

critics of present science policies. Possible futures (short term) 

will be discussed in relation to existing technology. About 318 of 

the course time will be devoted to these topics and students will 

be asked to present an essay in this area - possibly scenarios for 

some future aspects of living in a science based society. 

iii) 

Case Histories 

About 318 of the course time will be spent examinThg a 

few case histories. The students will choose one of these on 

which to write a short essay. 

3

The following topics can thus be discussed with some urder- 

standing of the historical and philosophical background of views 

which are widely held today. 

The current revolt against science. 

The counter culture and the reaction of the scientific community. 

Possible futures. 

The development of "hard" and "soft" technologies. 

The role of the scientist in social change. 

Some case histories, to be chosen by the students, will be 

examined. The following are possible examples. 

Current research in chemical genetics. 

Research into longevity. 

Drug therapy - the chemical control of Man. 

The development of electronics technology. 

Communications and transportation. 

Computers and "Big Brother". 

Military science and technology. 

a.

3) ? 

Book List 

There will be no assigned text book. There is a large amount 

S ?

of literature relevant to a course on the Scientific Ethos; the 

books on the attached list, together with journals, will provide 

a reasonably wide collection. Should the course be approved the 

library would be requested to have certain passages on reserve 

as xerox 

copies. Those books from which it is expected to select 

such material have been marked with an asterisk. Separate Biblio- 

graphies will be filed for the case histories. These will be 

compiled according to student interest. 

b.

This course is intended as a general studies elective. 

This course does not overlap with any existing or planned philosophy 

course. 

See attached memorandum.

Book List 

Galileo* 

The Assayer in S. Drake (ed.), Discoveries and 

Opinions of Galileo (1957) 

F.

Bacon* 

Complete works (Spedding (ed.) et al) 

B.

Farrington

Francis Bacon, Philosopher of Industrial Science 

(1961) 

R.

Descartes* 

Discourse on Method 

F.E. & F.P. Manuel French Utopias (1966) 

F.E. Mannel*    

Prophets of Paris 

S.A. Lakoff (ed)  

Knowledge and Power (1966) 

H.

Morley* 

(ed)   

Ideal Commonwealths (1885) 

C. Huygens     

The Celestial Worlds Discovered; or Conjectures 

Concerning

the Inhabitants, Plants and Productions 

of the Worlds in the Planets 

J. Swift'      

Gullivers Travels 

A.

Smith*     

The Theory of Moral Sentiments 

The Wealth of Nations (ed. Skinner, 

Penguin

1970) 

N. Barlow (ed)   

The Autobiography of Charles Darwin 

R. Hofstatder   

Social Darwism 

J.S. Mill*     

Principles of Political Economy 

E. Fromm*     

Marx's Concept of Man (1961) 

J. Gould (ed)   

Penguin Soäial Sciences Survey (19.68) 

H. Butterfield*  

The Origins of Modern Science (1962) 

A.R. Hall     

The Scientific Revolution (1966) 

C.C. Gillispie*  

The Edge of Objectivity; an Essay in the History of 

Scientific Ideas (1960) 

A. Koyre      

From the Closed World to the Infinite Universe (1969) 

J.D. Bernal     

Science in History ? 

vols. 2 & 3 (Penguin 1969) 

R.

Lekachrnan* ? 

(ed)  

Keynes General Theory (1964) 

J.K. 

Galbraith* 

The New Industrial State (1967) 

F.W. Matson     

The Broken Image 

F. Crick* 

Of Molecules and Men (1966) 

W. Fuller (ed)    

The Social Impact of Modern Biology 

J. Nonod       

Chance & Necessity (1971) 

A. Koestler &    

Beyond Reductionism (N.Y. 1970) 

J.R. Sznythies 

?

(eds) 

Seyyed Hossein Nasr The Encounter of Man and Nature (London 1968) 

Derek De Solla Price 

Big Science, Little Science (1963) 

Daniel S. Greenberg* The Politics of Pure Science (1967) 

?

(American) 

•

J. Ellul       

The Technological Society (1964) 

L.M. Massak (ed)   

The Rise of Science in Relation to Society (1964) 

D.A. Sihon      

Technology and Change (1967) 

J. Ben David     

The Scientists Role in Society (1971) 

R. Jungk       

Brighter than 100 Suns (Penguin 1960) 

R. Gilpin      

American Scientists and Nuclear Weapons Policy (1962) 

0. Nathan & 

H. Nordern (eds)  

Einstein on Peace (1968) 

A.D. 

Sakharov* 

Progress, Coexistence and Intelleàtual Freedom (1968) 

P. King Hele* 

?

•

The End of the Twentieth Century? (1970) 

J. Allen* ? 

(ed) ? 

•

March 4: 

?

Scientists, Students and Society (M.I.T. 1970) 

B.F. Skinner     

Beyond Freedom and Dignity 

S. Lilley      

Man, Machines and History (2nd ed. 1965) 

J.D. Bernal     

The Social Function of Science 

Barber & Hirsch* (ed) 

The Sociology of Science 

.

?

R. Miliband & 

J. Saville (eds) 

H. Nieberg 

N. Calder 

B. Barnes (ed) 

C.

Cherry 

W.O. Hagstrom' 

E.A. Burt 

R. Clarke 

S. Pollard 

D.E. Wooldridge 

E.M. Forster* 

Problems of Life 

B. Commoner 

J. Bronowski 

Charles van Doren 

Buckminster Fuller* 

John Ziman* 

T.

Kuhn* 

•

?

I. Scheffler 

J.R. Rowetz* 

B. Easlea* 

T. Roszak* 

The Socialist Register 1972 

In the Name of Science 

Technopol cs 

The Sociology of Science 

World Communication: Threat or Promise? 

The Scientific Community 

The Metaphysical Foundations of Modern Science (1954) 

The Science of War and Peace 

The Idea of Progress (Penguin 1968) 

Mechanical Man 

The Machine Stops (in Collected Short Stories) 

(Penguin 1954) 

(Harper Torchbook 1960) 

Science and Survival 

Science and Human Values (1965) 

The Idea of Progress (1967) 

Operating Manual for Spaceship Earth (1969) 

Public Knowledge. The Social Dimension of Science (1968) 

The Structure of Scientific Revolutions (2nd edition 1971) 

Science and Subjectivity 

Scientifiö Knowledge and its Social Problems( 1972) 

Liberation and the aims of Science. An essay on 

obstacles to the building of a beautiful world (1973) 

Where the Wasteland Ends 

,-0

ft .-

1MON FRASER UNIVEt{SITY,

MEMORANDUM

?

..............:1..Drs.. T. Sterling and J...Weinkam, ..... ........ 

?

From .....

.Norman Swartz, ..................................... 

..............Divisionof. Cop 

?

ng..S.cin.ce .............. ........ 

?

Department of. Philosophy 

...................

?

r Sublect..........CoUrse:Proposals in General.. Studies.., 

?

Date

........ 

August 20,...19.73 .......................................... 

Thank you for inviting me to react to the two Proposals submitted to 

the General Studies Program by Dr. Hannah Gay. Curiousl 

r

in this 

regard I find myself having a three-fold interest: first, as the 

Acting Chairman of the Department of Philosophy; second, as the 

Chairman of its Undergraduate Curriculum Committee; and third, as 

the faculty member in this Department who is principally 

1

concerned 

with the teaching of the Philosophy of Science. As you doubtless 

know, I have had for some time a widely expressed interest in pro- 

moting the History and Philosophy of Science at Simon Fraser. But 

at the same time Irnust see to it that any new courses proposed in 

this area do not compete with, to the detriment of, existing courses 

within this Department. 

Let'me say at the outset that one of the two courses Dr. Gay proposes, 

"The Scientific Ethos", seems to me to pose no competition to any 

,. Philosophy courses and indeed appears to 

supplement the existing Philosophy of Science course very nicely. 

It has my support. 

The second course, however, "Scientific Method - Theory, Practice and 

Goals in the Natural Sciences", does seem to be somewhat problematic. 

Some of the topics suggested are even now the principal subject matters 

of two courses in the Department of Philosophy, namely, Philosophy of 

Science, Philosophy 341, and Theories of Explanation, Philosophy 445. 

Moreover, the course Proposal mentions "Popperian theory" and "Kuhnian 

'irrationality'", both of which areas are currently touched upon by 

several other departments (e.g. Economics, PSA, etc.). It has been 

my experience that these topics are dealt with only superficially 

outside 

the Department of Philosophy and are really fr too difficult 

to he treated properly by the non-philosopher. Since the possibility of 

exposure to Popper's and Kuhn's philosophies 'is already so widely available 

in the University, and because a proper understanding of them cannot be 

had from only a cursory examination, it would seem to me that that aspect 

of the proposed course could be better devoted to something else. The 

second half of the Proposal seems to me to contain something genuinely 

exciting, namely, four case studies of scientific theory construction. 

I would far prefer to see this latter aspect of the course strengthened 

and the aforementioned aspect diminished. It seems to me that such a 

-.ourse, with its emphasis redirected as I have suggested, could in time 

become a happy addition to a Program which I still have hopes of seeing 

mounted in this University in the History and Philosophy of Science. 

Norman .Swartz 

-

c.c. Dr. Hannah Gay ? 

. ?

-