Philosophy of Science — Guido

Readings, questions and assignments, week by week. Lectures on Mondays, seminars (presentations and discussion) on Thursdays, 13:15–16:00 in BBG 315/317.

Jump to this week (week 3)

Week 1 Induction 14–20 September

Lecture Mon 14 Sep · Seminar Thu 17 Sep · Guido Bacciagaluppi & Marina Passaro

Wed 16 Sep
Lock & Key

Lock & Key 1: Induction

Wednesday 16 September 2026

Deadline 22:00, as an anonymised PDF (no name) via Brightspace. Revised version possible until Friday 18 September, 18:00. Two paragraphs of 150–200 words on at least one of this week’s texts: a lock (something you don’t fully grasp, and why) and a key (a non-obvious insight that is not the text’s central claim). Give page references.

Week 3 Logical positivism and observation 28 September – 4 October This week

Lecture Mon 28 Sep · Seminar Thu 1 Oct · Guido Bacciagaluppi & Marina Passaro

Wed 30 Sep
Lock & Key

Lock & Key 3: Logical positivism and observation

Wednesday 30 September 2026

Deadline 22:00, as an anonymised PDF (no name) via Brightspace. Revised version possible until Friday 2 October, 18:00. Two paragraphs of 150–200 words on at least one of this week’s texts: a lock (something you don’t fully grasp, and why) and a key (a non-obvious insight that is not the text’s central claim). Give page references.

Thu 1 Oct

Observation

Norwood Russell Hanson · Week 3, Thursday 1 October

In Patterns of Discovery (Cambridge University Press), ch. 1

Week 4 Kuhn and Quine 5–11 October

Lecture Mon 5 Oct · Seminar Thu 8 Oct · Guido Bacciagaluppi & Marina Passaro

Wed 7 Oct
Lock & Key

Lock & Key 4: Kuhn and Quine

Wednesday 7 October 2026

Deadline 22:00, as an anonymised PDF (no name) via Brightspace. Revised version possible until Friday 9 October, 18:00. Two paragraphs of 150–200 words on at least one of this week’s texts: a lock (something you don’t fully grasp, and why) and a key (a non-obvious insight that is not the text’s central claim). Give page references.

Week 8 Experiments and models 2–8 November

Lecture Mon 2 Nov · Seminar Thu 5 Nov · Guido Bacciagaluppi & Marina Passaro

Wed 4 Nov
Discussion question

Discussion question 4: Experiments and models

Wednesday 4 November 2026

Deadline 22:00, as an anonymised PDF (no name) via Brightspace. Revised version possible until Friday 6 November, 18:00. One question about one or more of the readings, with motivation: 300–400 words, no needless summary. See Lipton’s “Writing philosophy” and the tips for discussion questions on Brightspace.

Thu 5 Nov
1999 Models

Models as Autonomous Agents

Margaret Morrison · Week 8, Thursday 5 November

In M.S. Morgan & M. Morrison (eds.), Models as Mediators (Cambridge University Press), pp. 38–65

Further reading

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