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noahfor · 02-21-2006, 12:27 PM

Hey. I have to write a four page answer to each of the following two question for a philosophy of science class I am taking. The thing is I don't even know where to begin. I barely understand the concepts involved or even the questions themselves. I've been to all the classes. I just have a hard time understanding the professor. He's from Greece I think, and I sometimes can't hear through his accent and he uses strange grammar, and we don't even have a text for the class and he doesn't tell us where anything is written about these things. I'm not asking for the answers, but just a little help in making me understand. Even the name of a book would help. The professor encourages discussion among students outside of class, so this is kind of the name thing. I don't know anyone in class, and I don't have the class again before this is due so there is no way I can talk to anyone from class. Here:

1. Important developments in mathematics and in physics roughly from the middle of the 19th century to the first two decades of the 20th appeared as undermining the Kantian conception on the foundations of mathematics and of natural science in general. Which aspects of Kant's approach were particularly touched? In what way were they touched? Give some specific examples coming from both mathematics and physics.

Ok, I know the aspects are synthetic apriori and intuitions, but I don't really understand where they fit in to anything. They are just free floating concepts to me, not attached to anything. He doesn't ever go past the surface with this stuff. I know that non euclidian geometries, theories of infinities bigger than other infinities, and relativity theory, all are contrary to intuition, but again I don't know how this fits in to anything or what it fits in to.

2. The philosophical approach of logical empiricism aimed at our making understand(see the strange grammar) how totally unexpected developments in natural science, like the advent of relativity theory and of quantum mechanics, could come about. To achieve such understanding, logical empiricism tried to analyze the logical structure of mature science. In what way can this analysis help us achieve such understanding? What is the role of experience in the approach of logical empiricism? What conception of scientific progress does this approach imply?

I don't understand this at all. Relativity theory came about because that's the way things are. The role of experience is one of the basis for all theory, right? If anyone knows a good book on logic, but not how to do logic, like not A ^ ~B, but somehting about the philosophy of logic, let me know.

All this material was presented in like 4-5 hour long lectures, and he just never seemed to go as deep as he wants us to go in these questions. I just wasn't expecting this at all. I knew we were getting a take home test today, but I had no idea we were going to have to do research or anything. Thanks.

02-21-2006, 12:27 PM	#1 (permalink)
noahfor Addict	Kant and Logical Empiricism Hey. I have to write a four page answer to each of the following two question for a philosophy of science class I am taking. The thing is I don't even know where to begin. I barely understand the concepts involved or even the questions themselves. I've been to all the classes. I just have a hard time understanding the professor. He's from Greece I think, and I sometimes can't hear through his accent and he uses strange grammar, and we don't even have a text for the class and he doesn't tell us where anything is written about these things. I'm not asking for the answers, but just a little help in making me understand. Even the name of a book would help. The professor encourages discussion among students outside of class, so this is kind of the name thing. I don't know anyone in class, and I don't have the class again before this is due so there is no way I can talk to anyone from class. Here: 1. Important developments in mathematics and in physics roughly from the middle of the 19th century to the first two decades of the 20th appeared as undermining the Kantian conception on the foundations of mathematics and of natural science in general. Which aspects of Kant's approach were particularly touched? In what way were they touched? Give some specific examples coming from both mathematics and physics. Ok, I know the aspects are synthetic apriori and intuitions, but I don't really understand where they fit in to anything. They are just free floating concepts to me, not attached to anything. He doesn't ever go past the surface with this stuff. I know that non euclidian geometries, theories of infinities bigger than other infinities, and relativity theory, all are contrary to intuition, but again I don't know how this fits in to anything or what it fits in to. 2. The philosophical approach of logical empiricism aimed at our making understand(see the strange grammar) how totally unexpected developments in natural science, like the advent of relativity theory and of quantum mechanics, could come about. To achieve such understanding, logical empiricism tried to analyze the logical structure of mature science. In what way can this analysis help us achieve such understanding? What is the role of experience in the approach of logical empiricism? What conception of scientific progress does this approach imply? I don't understand this at all. Relativity theory came about because that's the way things are. The role of experience is one of the basis for all theory, right? If anyone knows a good book on logic, but not how to do logic, like not A ^ ~B, but somehting about the philosophy of logic, let me know. All this material was presented in like 4-5 hour long lectures, and he just never seemed to go as deep as he wants us to go in these questions. I just wasn't expecting this at all. I knew we were getting a take home test today, but I had no idea we were going to have to do research or anything. Thanks.