HISTORY AND PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE (2)
Philosophy of Science
Answer question one from Section A and three questions chosen from Section B
SECTION A
1 How, in your view, should the history and/or sociology of science inform
philosophical accounts of science?
SECTION B
2 Either (a) ‘The scepticism of Descartes admits of no answer and serves no
purpose.’ Discuss.
Or (b) What is the problem of induction? Does it rest on a misguided notion of
justification?
3 Either (a) What is the difference between idealism and scepticism?
Or (b) Is there a sense in which colours are in the mind and shapes are not?
4 Why aren’t all correlations laws?
5 Has Kripke established the possibility of knowledge that is both necessary and a
posteriori?
6 Either (a) What does explanation have to do with deduction?
Or (b) Describe and defend a solution to the Paradox of the Ravens.
7 Either (a) What is right in Karl Popper’s philosophy of science?
Or (b) How does Kuhn distinguish between normal and revolutionary
science? Is this distinction a matter of degree?
8 ‘If social interests shaped the content of science, then scientists could never arrive
at true theories.’ Discuss.
9 Either (a) How can Schrödinger’s Cat Paradox be resolved?
Or (b) How can philosophy of science help to determine who should fund
scientific research?