This is Prof. Ron McClamrock’s home page for Philosophy 218, Understanding Science; I last taught this course in the Fall 2013 semester. A syllabus is here, with information about readings, requirements, topics, and the like.

Course Description: An introduction to the philosophy of science. Topics include the nature of scientific method, hypothetical-deductive and probabilistic testing of hypotheses, limits of inductive inference, questions about operational definition, the relationship between observation and theory, the nature of scientific explanation, and the relationship between the various sciences. Examples will be drawn from the physical, biological, psychological, and social sciences.

If you have questions please e-mail me at ron at albany dot edu.