Philosophy of science is the study of the nature of science and scientific reasoning.
This course introduces these issues via a selective historical survey of both science and philosophy of science from ancient Greece to the twentieth century. One focus of the course is to compare philosophers' theories of scientific reasoning with the arguments that famous scientists have used. All readings are from primary sources and contained in a course packet will be available from the Illini Union Bookstore. Grades will be determined by four 50-minute exams spaced equally through the semester. These will be short answer exams and the questions will be taken from a list of questions distributed in advance and discussed in lectures.