Philosophy

Instructions

Hardcopy answers to the following questions are due in class Tuesday, 2/28. I do not mind students working on this problem set in groups--it is, in fact, encouraged--but your answer should be yourown. Be sure that each answer is complete, well-expressed, clear, and precise. The value of each problem is given in parentheses after the question. If you have any question, puzzle, or require clarification, please do not hesitate to contact me (berkich@gmail.com;3976, 825-1514). Alternatively, I've enabled comments for this page. No doubt any question you might have would be shared by others in the class. Feel free to post them here and I'll answer as best I'm able. Finally, the following maximums and minimums must be scrupulously observed:

• No less than 10pt font.
• No less than 1.5 line spacing.
• No less than 1 inch margins on all sides.
• No more than one-half page for a Short Essay answer.
• No more than one page for a Long Essay answer.

Note that these are maximums and minimums only. You may, for instance, write less than one page for a Long Essay or use greater than a 10pt font. Finally, these minimums and maximums do not apply, for instance, to flow graphs or other charts, which may be handwritten and attached as need be.

In light of the serious constraints on the space available for answers, it is extremely important that you excise any and all extraneous, superfluous, or redundant material. For example, the phrases "It can be argued that", "I claim that", "I think that", or their kin preceding a sentence add absolutely nothing to the sentence, take up valuable space, and are in fact wholly redundant. Of course it can be argued that, claimed that, or thought that, or you would never have written it!

Every word must count for answering the question. Philosophical writing is thus austere, but terribly precise. Such is its virtue.

As usual, it is not permitted to quote from the text, or to plagiarize from the text, or to plagiarize from anything, or even to revise a sentence from the text by replacing key phrases. Each and every word must, in short, be your own.

Finally, I have enabled comments on this page. Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask them here.

1. Social Values in Science

Longino argues that even though social values influence science, it is nonetheless capable of progress because the social values themselves allow for transformative criticism. Explain her conception of transformative criticism, why she thinks it secures progress in science, and the conditions necessary for it in a long essay. (25)

2. Good Sense

In a long essay and using concrete examples, explain the point Duhem is making when he writes the following: (25)

Pure logic is not the only rule for our judgments; certain opinions which do not fall under the hammer of the principle of contradiction are in any case perfectly unreasonable. These motives which do not proceed from logic and yet direct our choices, these "reasons which reason does not know" and which speak to the ample "mind of finesse" but not to the "geometric mind," constitute what is appropriately called good sense.