Lecture Notes:
Philosophy of Science
1

, Lecture 1: Ways of Knowing 4
Reading Notes: Characterizing the Three Cultures (Kagan) 4
Introducing Philosophy of Science 6
Three Groups of Sciences 7
Nomothetic Approach 10
Idiographic Approach 11
Lecture 2: Knowledge, Truth, and Facts 12
Reading 12
Knowledge 13
JTB Account: The 3 Conditions 15
What is truth? 17
What is a fact? 18
Lecture 3: Scienti c Laws and Induction 21
Scienti c Laws 21
Applying the Nomothetic Approach 23
Induction 25
Tutorial Notes 28
Lecture 4: Explanations and Causes 30
Reading: Scienti c Explanation 30
Introduction to Explanation 30
Explanation: Hempel’s Models 32
Lecture 5: Falsi cationism 38
Asymmetry of Hypothesis Test 40
Science According to Popper - Falsi cation 41
Critical Evaluation of Falsi cation 43
Lecture 6: Paradigms and Revolutions 45
Reading Notes: On Thomas Kuhn’s Philosophical Signi cance 45
Introductions 45
Concept 1: Theory-Ladenness 47
Concept 2: Paradigm 48
Concept 3: Scienti c Revolution 50
Concept 4: Incommensurability 50
Lecture 7: Methodology of Analogies and Models 54
Analogy 54
Example 1: Wave Analogies 57
Example 2: Organic Analogies 57
2
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, Heuristics of Analogy 58
What is a Model? 60
Lecture 8: Quantitative and Qualitative Approaches 63
Quantitative vs Qualitative 63
QvQ Trade-o s: Context & Direction of Causal Inference 65
Case-Study Method 68
Internal and External Validity 70
Lecture 9: Rationality 71
What is Rationality? 71
Rational Choice Theory 72
Bounded Rationality Theory 75
Rationality and Emotion 78
Lecture 10: Interpretation + Understanding 79
Wilhelm Dilthey: In uence and Approach 79
Purposiveness 80
Meaningfulness 81
Relationality 82
Lecture 11: Absolutism and Relativism 85
Relativism + Absolutism 85
Truth 86
From Truth to Rationality 89
3
 ff fl
, Lecture 1: Ways of Knowing
Reading Notes: Characterizing the Three Cultures (Kagan)
Jerome Kagan, The Three Cultures: Natural Sciences, Social Sciences, and the Humanities in the
21st Century. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009. Read Chapter 1,
“Characterizing the Three Cultures”, pp. 1–50.
• 3 Cultures: Natural Scientists, Social Scientists, Humanists
• 9 Dimensions where they vary
4

Philosophy of Science
1

, Lecture 1: Ways of Knowing 4
Reading Notes: Characterizing the Three Cultures (Kagan) 4
Introducing Philosophy of Science 6
Three Groups of Sciences 7
Nomothetic Approach 10
Idiographic Approach 11
Lecture 2: Knowledge, Truth, and Facts 12
Reading 12
Knowledge 13
JTB Account: The 3 Conditions 15
What is truth? 17
What is a fact? 18
Lecture 3: Scienti c Laws and Induction 21
Scienti c Laws 21
Applying the Nomothetic Approach 23
Induction 25
Tutorial Notes 28
Lecture 4: Explanations and Causes 30
Reading: Scienti c Explanation 30
Introduction to Explanation 30
Explanation: Hempel’s Models 32
Lecture 5: Falsi cationism 38
Asymmetry of Hypothesis Test 40
Science According to Popper - Falsi cation 41
Critical Evaluation of Falsi cation 43
Lecture 6: Paradigms and Revolutions 45
Reading Notes: On Thomas Kuhn’s Philosophical Signi cance 45
Introductions 45
Concept 1: Theory-Ladenness 47
Concept 2: Paradigm 48
Concept 3: Scienti c Revolution 50
Concept 4: Incommensurability 50
Lecture 7: Methodology of Analogies and Models 54
Analogy 54
Example 1: Wave Analogies 57
Example 2: Organic Analogies 57
2
 fi fi fifi fi fi fi fi
, Heuristics of Analogy 58
What is a Model? 60
Lecture 8: Quantitative and Qualitative Approaches 63
Quantitative vs Qualitative 63
QvQ Trade-o s: Context & Direction of Causal Inference 65
Case-Study Method 68
Internal and External Validity 70
Lecture 9: Rationality 71
What is Rationality? 71
Rational Choice Theory 72
Bounded Rationality Theory 75
Rationality and Emotion 78
Lecture 10: Interpretation + Understanding 79
Wilhelm Dilthey: In uence and Approach 79
Purposiveness 80
Meaningfulness 81
Relationality 82
Lecture 11: Absolutism and Relativism 85
Relativism + Absolutism 85
Truth 86
From Truth to Rationality 89
3
 ff fl
, Lecture 1: Ways of Knowing
Reading Notes: Characterizing the Three Cultures (Kagan)
Jerome Kagan, The Three Cultures: Natural Sciences, Social Sciences, and the Humanities in the
21st Century. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009. Read Chapter 1,
“Characterizing the Three Cultures”, pp. 1–50.
• 3 Cultures: Natural Scientists, Social Scientists, Humanists
• 9 Dimensions where they vary
4

