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SENATE 

IMtULI1 U1 iN1tKULziwrL111MKT

aluvica-

Subject

NEW COURSE PROPOSAL G.S. 201-3 

?

Date

November 12 1974 

MOTION ? 

"That Senate approve - and recommend approval 

to the Board - the new course proposal, as set 

forth in S74 - 146' for G.S. 201-3 Historical 

Studies in the Philosophy of Science for offering 

on a continuing basis until there is further 

proposal for courses in the History and Philosophy 

of Science at which time the course will be fully 

reviewed." 

.

SiMON FRASER UNIVERSITY

S. - 7y —

MEMORANDUM

From

SENATE COMMITTEE ON UNDERGRADUATE STUDIES 

is

S7 'r

SiMON FRASER UNIVERSITY

MEMORANDUM

From .....

Subject

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

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

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

Date

........ 

November12, ? 

1974

At its meeting of 5th November, the Senate Committee on 

Undergraduate Studies considered a proposal from the Faculty of 

Interdisciplinary Studies for the offering of a new course, GS.201-3: 

Historical Studies in the Philosophy of Science. 

In response to questions about the apparently incomplete 

nature of the reading list for this course, the Dean of Inter- 

disciplinary Studies 

stated that the proposal now being submitted 

was the product of discussions between the proponents of the 

course, the Faculty of Science and the Department of Philosophy. 

The original proposal had been modified along lines suggested by 

these two groups and the final version had met with their approval. 

The question was also raised concerning the relationship of this 

course to any future proposal in the History and Philosophy of 

. ?

Science. ? 

In response to this question, the Dean noted that, in. 

approving this course, his Faculty had assumed that it would be 

offered on a continuing basis until such a program was initiated. 

The Committees recommendation thus includes this 

proviso; and this course proposal is no forwarded to Senate 

for its consideration. 

I. Mugridge 

ams

att. 

SiMON FRASER UNIVERSITY

74-44

MEMORANDUM

The

From.

J. Blanchet,

SenateCornmitteeonUndergradu

Secretary to the Faculty of inteTdisciplinaly

Studies.

Studies Curriculum Committee.

Subject.........S... .20l..3.,...Hi.s.torical..Studies . in

Date ?

October 9174.

the Philosophy of Science.

New Course Proposal.

The attached new course proposal is forwarded to you

for consideration by the Senate Committee on Undergraduate Studies.

Would you please place this item on the agenda.

Attachment.

SENATE COMMITTEE ON UNDERGRADUATE STUDIES 

NEW COURSE PROPOSAL FORM 

1.

Calendar Information 

?

Department:_____________________ 

Abbreviation Code: GS 

?

Course Number: 201 

?

Credit Hours: ? 

3 ?

Vector: 2-1-0 

Title ofCourse: Historical Studies in the Philosophy of Science 

Calendar Description of Course: This course will present some of the views held 

by important figures in the philosophy of science including Aristotle, Galileo 

Bacon, Descartes, Newton, Kant, Poincare, etc. The format will be primarily 

chronological and will culminate with a study of views held by leading figures 

in the late 19th and 20th centuries. 

Nature of Course Lecture/Tutorial 

Prerequisites (or special instructions): Any 100 level course in science, math- 

ematics, or philosophy 

course (courses), if any, is being 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? 

?

f//

/?7J 

• ? 

Which of your present faculty would be available to make the proposed offering 

possible? 

3.

Objectives of the Course 

See attached 

4.

Budgetary and Space Requirements (for information only) 

What additional resourses will be required in the following areas: 

Faculty ? 

1/4 sessional lectureship, on an annual basis 

Staff 

Library See attached resource list 

Audio Visual 

Space 

Equipment 

4. Approval 

Date:_______________________ 

?

October 9/74. 

Department Chairman 

?

Acting

Dean 

?

Chairman, 

SCUS 

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

Attach course outline). 

.

3. Objectives of the Course 

a) The object of this course is to acquaint the student with important 

historical views in the philosophy of science. The format will be 

primarily chronological though reference to related contemporary ideas 

will be made throughout. Readings will be selected primarily from original 

philosophical writings though in some cases, Newton for example, scientific 

texts will be studied so that comparisons between actual practice and 

methodological accounts can be made. The following nine sections will be 

assigned approximately equal times (weighted in favour of the late 19th and 

early 20th centuries) from which it can be seen that the course will give 

an overall introductory picture rather than a detailed analysis of any 

particular philosophy. 

Outline 

1) Introduction to classical views 

a)

Aristotle - the inductive-deductive method; non-logical requirements 

for scientific explanation. 

b)

The pythagorean view of nature. 

c)

The classical origins of the tradition of 'saving the appearances' 

d)

Euclid; deductive systems the model for empirical systems? 

2) 16th and 17th century philosophy of science 

a)

Anti-Aristotelian philosophies: the Hermetic, neo-platonist and 

magical world views. 

b)

Galileo's version of Aristotelian methodology: his Platonic ideas 

of abstraction and idealisation in science. 

c)

Francis Bacon; methods of induction and exclusion; crucial experiments. 

The rejection of teleological explanation. 

d)

R. Descartes; the rationalist viewpoint: mechanical world views. 

3) Newton 

a)

Newton's account of his methods 

b)

Newton's rules of reasoning. 

c)

Interpretations of 'Hypotheses 

d)

Criticisms of Newton's account 

4) 18th century philosophy of science 

and of the structure of scientific theory. 

non-fingo'. 

of science. 

a)

D. Hume; the principle of empiricism. 

b)

I. Kant; the Kantian view of mathematics and of Newtonian mechanics. 

5) Early 19th century philosophy of science; theories of scientific procedure 

a)

J. Herschel; the continuation of the empirical tradition; the distinction 

between the discovery and justification of scientific theories. 

b)

W. Whewell; the Kantian tradition; the philosophy of science based on 

historical studies. 

c)

Naturphilosophie - the Divine plan of Nature: anti-materialism. 

I-

-2-

S6) Inductivism; pro and con 

a)

J.S. Mill; Inductivism. 

b)

S. Jevons; the hypothetico deductive model for scientific 

explanation. 

c)

C. Hempel; continuation of the deductive scheme. 

7) Mid-Late 19th century philosophy of science 

a)

Darwinism; its effect on the Platonic doctrines of ideal form 

and on Aristotelian final causes. 

b)

Hnholtz; 19th century neo-Kantianism; the psychological school. 

c)

E. Mach; sensationalism, conventionalism, the critique of 

Newtonian philosophy. 

d)

K. Pearson; radical empiricism. 

e)

P. Duhem; axiomatics; historical approaches to positivism; 

the conventionalist view. 

f)

H. Poincare; the Kantian philosophy of arithmetic; the conventionalist 

philosophy of science and geometry. 

g)

C. Pierce; indeterminism in physical theory; anti-inductionism. 

8) Early 20th century views 

a)

N.R. Campbell; analysis of science without reference to 

• ? 

traditional philosophies; the roles of analogy and measurement 

in science. 

b)

P.W. Bridgman; the influence of Duhem and Einstein; operationalism. 

c)

Einstein's later neo-Kantian account of methodology in science. 

d)

Planck's realism and Bohr's instrumentalism. 

e)

J. Watson; behaviourism. 

f)

Organismic arguments in Biology, Woodger and Haldane. 

g)

H. Bergson's "creative evolution". 

9) Mid 20th century views; a brief summary 

a)

Modern empiricism; Kuhnian 'irrationality'; neo-Kantian philosophy. 

b)

Problems of reduction in the physical and biological sciences; is 

quantum mechanics an anti-reductionist theory? 

c)

Teleology and goal directed organization in biological systems. 

so

Book List 

Recommended 

J. Kockelmans (ed.) Philosophy of Science: The Historical Background. (Collier 

Macmillan 1968) 

J. Losee      

A Historical 

Introduction

to the Philosophy of Science. 

(O.U.P. ? 

1972) 

Resource List for 

the Library 

Aristotle     

Posterior Analytics 

G. Mathews (ed.)  

Plato's Epistemology (Faber, 1972) 

Ptolemy       

The Alma gest 

Galileo       

Dialogue Concerning Two New Sciences (H. Crew translation, 

1950) 

The Assayer (Stillman Drake ed.) 

F. Bacon      

New Organon 

R. Descartes    

Discourse on Method 

Principia 

I. Newton      

Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy (A Motto 

translation 1962 ed.) 

Optics 

D. Hume       

An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding; A. Flew (ed.) 

David Hume on Nature and the Understanding, Collier 1962 

I. Kant       

Critique of Pure Reason (Kemp Smith Trans) 

Prolegomena and Metaphysical Foundations of Natural Science 

J.F.W. Herschel   

A Preliminary Discourse on the Study of Natural Philosophy 

(1831) London, 1842. 

W. Whewell     

The Philosophy of the Inductive Sciences Founded Upon 

Their History. ? 

London 1840. 

or

The history of Scientific Ideas (1847) 

Norum Organon Renova turn (1858) 

On the Philosophy of Discovery (1860) 

N. Bohr 

Wirpp

P.

J.B. Watson 

J.H. Woodger

J.S. Haldane

2

J.S. Mill ? 

A System of Logic 

W.S. Jevons 

?

The Principles of Science - Dover edition (1958) - with 

an introduction by E. Nagel 

H. von Helmholtz 

?

Popular Lectures on Scientific subjects (trans. E. 

Atkinson) Appleton Century Crofts (1881) 

E. Mach 

?

Popular Scientific Lectures (Chicago 1943) 

The Science of Mechanics (trans. T.J. McCormack) (La Salle 

1960) 

K. Pearson 

?

The Grammar of Science (London 1911) 

P. Duhem 

?

The Aim and Structure of Physical Theory (New Jersey 1954, 

trans. P.P. Wiener) 

H. Poincare ? 

Science and 

hypothesis

(trans. W.J. Greenstreet) (N.Y. 

1952)

The Value of Science (trans. B. Halsted) (N.Y. 1958) 

Science and Method (trans. F. Maitland) (N.Y. 

1958)

Pierce 

?

Essays in the Philosophy of Science 

N.R. Campbell ? 

Foundations of Science. The Philosophy of Theory and 

Experiment (N.Y. 

1957)

What is Science? (N.Y. 1952) 

An Account of the Principles of Measurement and Calculation 

(N. Y. 1928) 

P.W. Bridgernan 

?

The Logic of Modern Physics (N.Y. 

1927)

The Nature of Physical Theory (Princeton 2936) 

The Nature of Some of Our Physical Concepts (N.Y. 

1952)

Toulmin (ed.) 

?

Physical Reality 

Atomic Physics and Human Knowledge 

A. Einstein - Philosopher Scientist 

Behaviourism 

(1925)

Biological Principles (2929)

The Philoaophical

Ba8-t8

of Biology (2931)

0 ?

SiMON FRASER UNIVERSITY

- -

MEMORANDUM

io. ? 

...............Professor J.J.Weinkam, Chairman 

?

From

.... 

B.D. 

Pate, chairman.................................. 

Faculty o 

'

f Interdisciplinary 

?

Faculty of Science 

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

S.;nae

...crclum.......•. 

?

.. Undergraduate..ctiricu1tm ......... ....... ...... 

Committee 

?

Committee 

Subject ................. Genera.Studies 2 XX.-.storical ? 

Date 

.

?

Octpber. 4, 1974 

?

........... 

?

Studies in the Philosophy of Scien 

..

:e

The Facility of 

Scietnce 

Undergraduate Curriculum Committee, in its 

meeting of October 1, 1974, met with Dr. H. Gay to complete its 

consideration of the above numbered course as requested by Ms. J. 

Blanchet in her memo of January 14, 1974. 

Subsequent to that meeting I have had an opportunity to examine a 

draft proposal and outline for this course. I am happy to report 

that this draft incorporates the modifications which were agreed upon 

at the meeting between the Faculty Undergraduate Curriculum Committee 

and Dr. H. Gay. 

I am pleased, therefore, to convey by this memo the endorsement of 

this course and its, contents on behalf of the Undergraduate Curriculum 

Committee. We look forward to this course being offered at the 

earliest opportunity. ? 

o

?

•k• ,'

Pate 

1w

cc: Members, Faculty of Science 

Undergraduate Curriculum Committee 

SIMON FRASER UNIVER1TY

MEMORANDUM

To......... 

ProfessorJ.We1nkat 

, ?

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

Curriculum Committee, 

1 ty 

...

Q.f ...

Iiiedisciplinary ... 

Studie 

Subject ............

Proposal for ...

course .... ifl..HiStor.y..Of.... 

?

the Philosophy of Science 

From..

Norman. Swartz, Chairman, 

Undergraduate Studies Committee, 

Department of Philosophy 

Date. ?

.....March .14, 1974 .......... 

TheChairman of this Department and I have carefully examined 

Dr. Hannah Gay's proposal (13th November) for a course entitled 

"Uistorical,.Figures .in:the Philosophy of Science". We are pleased to 

report that we find this proposal academically sound and an attractive 

complement to existing courses 

in

the Department of Philosophy. 

In due time, this Department may wish to sponsor a minor program 

in the History and Philosophy of Science. If we do, we shall of course 

then examine the question what, if any, role this particular course might 

play in that program. But since it is our understanding that courses 

given in Interdisciplinary Studies are approved only on a year-to-year basis, 

we do not envisage any conflict between this course's being given now and 

any proposals we might care to bring forth for such or related courses 

in the future. In the meantime, we would like to see the present course 

offered. Perhaps it might even be viewed as a preliminary testing of 

student interest in this field. 

Norman Swartz 

NNS/fw 

c.c. Dr. L. Resnick, Chairman 

Department of Philosophy 