PHIL 222 Sec 0 (Fall 2009)
SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND HUMAN AFFAIRS
Dr. James Gerrie
CONTACT INFO
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Office Phone: (902) 563-1238 |
Office: B-1016 (End of Hallway B-1012) |
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Home Phone: (902) 539-6548 |
Office Hours: M/W 2:30-4:00, Th 10:30-12:30 |
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Fax: (902) 563-1894 |
Classroom: CE325 |
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Web: faculty.capebretonu.ca/jgerrie |
Class Webpage: faculty.capebretonu.ca/jgerrie/PHIL222.html |
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E-Mail: jim_gerrie@cbu.ca |
Time: M/W 4:00-5:15 |
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course is intended to help students reflect on the nature of science and technology and their impact on human affairs.
TEXTS
Ian G. Barbour. 2000. When Science Meets Religion: Enemies, Strangers, or Partners? San Francisco: Harper Collins. ISBN: 978-0-06-060381-6
Richard Dawkins. 2006. The God Delusion. Boston: Haughton Mifflin Company. ISBN: 978-0-61-891824-9
Morton E. Winston and Ralph Edelbach. 2009. Society, Ethics, and Technology, Fourth Edition. Toronto: Wadsworth. ISBN: 0-495-50467-X
Various on-line readings and handouts
ASSIGNMENTS
Each student will be responsible for a research paper (5%) a short essay (5%), a critique assignment (20%) a major essay (20%), December exam (20%) and a final exam (30%). The research paper involves engaging with the assigned readings in order to understand the different positions presented in those readings on a question assigned for class discussion. The short essay is an exercise in engaging with assigned readings, lecture and video material and participating in a class discussion of a particular question that is raised in those materials. Both the research paper and short essay should be no longer than 750 words or 3 pages in length and must also serve as the basis for a brief oral presentation (such as posing a question, making a comment, presenting an argument) meant to spur class discussion. The critique assignment is an exercise in critically analyzing and assessing the arguments of two assigned readings and participating in a class discussion of those readings. It should be about 1000 words or 4 pages in length and must also serve as the basis for a brief oral presentation meant to spur class discussion. The major essay involves making a detailed defense of a position on a contemporary social issue involving science and technology, drawing on assigned course materials and outside research. It should be about 1250 words or 5 pages in length and must also serve as the basis for a brief oral presentation. The midterm and final exams both consist of multiple-choice, short-answer and essay type questions based on the assigned readings, lectures and class discussions.
COURSE OUTLINE
1. Lecture: What is Philosophy? How do I write philosophically? [Overheads] (Sept 14)
2. Lecture: How do I write an essay, critique and research paper? [Overheads] (Sept 16)
3. Lecture: The Relationship between Religion and Science: Conflict [Overheads] (Sept 21)
Reading: Barbour, pp. xi-14
Reading: Dawkins, Chapter 1
4. Lecture: The Relationship between Religion and Science: Independence [Overheads] (Sept 23)
Reading: Barbour, pp. 14-17
Reading: Dawkins, pp. 51-85
5. Lecture: The "Scientific Method" [Overheads] (Sept 28)
Reading: Barbour, pp. 17-22
Reading: Dawkins, pp. 85-99
Reading: Handout E
Video: How Does Science Add to Knowledge?
6. Lecture: 20th Century Critics of Science: Karl Popper and Thomas Kuhn [Overheads] (Sept 30)
Reading: Barbour, pp. 17-22
Reading: Dawkins, pp. 85-99
Video: Handout E
7. Class Discussion: Is a belief in Darwinian Evolution compatible with a belief in God? (Oct 5)
Reading: Barbour, pp. 1-22
Reading: Dawkins, pp. 1-99
8. Lecture: The Relationship between Religion and Science: Dialogue [Overheads] (Oct 7)
Reading: Barbour, pp. 23-27
Reading: Dawkins, pp. 123-136
9. Lecture: The Relationship between Religion and Science: Integration [Overheads] (Oct 14)
Reading: Barbour, pp. 27-36
Reading: Dawkins, pp. 123-136
10. Class Discussion: Is believing in God the same as believing in Mother Goose or fairies? (Oct 19)
Reading: Barbour, pp. 27-36
Reading: Dawkins, pp. 123-136
11. Lecture: Astronomy and Creation (Oct 21)
Reading: Barbour, Chapter 2
Reading: Dawkins, Chapter 4
12. Lecture: Limit Questions [Overheads] (Oct 26)
Reading: Barbour, Chapter 2
Reading: Dawkins, Chapter 4
13. Class Discussion: Does the apparent evidence for "fine tuning" support the possibility of the existence of God? (Oct 28)
Reading: Barbour, Chapter 2
Reading: Dawkins, Chapter 4
14. Video: What the Bleep Do We Know? (Nov 2)
15. Video: What the Bleep Do We Know? (Nov 4)
16. Lecture: The Implications of Quantum Physics [Overheads] (Nov 9)
Reading: Barbour, Chapter 3
Reading: Dawkins, Chapter 5
17. Class Discussion: If human beings are just bio-chemical machines, how can it be fair to blame criminals for their actions? (Nov 16)
Reading: Barbour, Chapter 3
Reading: Dawkins, Chapter 6
18. Lecture: Evolutionary Materialism and Intelligent Design [Overheads] (Nov 18)
Reading: Barbour, Chapter 4
Reading: Dawkins, Chapter 9
19. Video: No Intelligence Allowed? (Nov 23)
20. Lecture: December Exam Review [Review Notes] (Nov 25)
21. Class Discussion: Should any place be allowed in public schools for the teaching of creationism or theories of intelligent design? (Nov 30)
Reading: Barbour, Chapter 4
Reading: Dawkins, Chapter 9
22. December Test (Dec 2)
HOLIDAY BREAK
23. Lecture: The Science and Technologies Studies (STS) Movement [Overheads] (Jan 6)
Reading: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unabomber
24. Video: McLuhan's Wake [Overheads] (Jan 11)
25. Video and Lecture: McLuhan’s Laws of Media [Overheads] (Jan 13)
26. Lecture: Broad and Narrow Definitions of Technology [Overheads] (Jan 18)
Reading: Morton Winston, "Children of Invention"
Video: Walking with Cave Men [Overheads]
27. Lecture: Technological Determinism and "the Technological Imperative" [Overheads] (Jan 20)
Reading: Roslind Williams, "History as Technological Change"
Reading: Judy Wajcman, “Addressing Technological Change: The Challenge to Social Theory”
28. Class Discussion: Read the blog posting provided in the handout package for Short Essay Topic One. Do you agree with the contention of the writer that mathematics is not technology? (Jan 25)
Reading: Morton Winston, "Children of Invention"
Reading: Roslind Williams, "History as Technological Change"
Reading: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ps9cPhzLf1E
29. Lecture: The Non-neutrality Thesis [Overheads] (Jan 27)
Reading: Richard Sclove, “I’d Hammer Out Freedom”
Reading: Langdon Winner, "Artifacts/Ideas and Political Culture"
30. Class Discussion: Read the blog posting provided in the handout package for Short Essay Topic Two. Do you agree with the author's statement that technology is neutral, people just abuse it? [Overheads] (Feb 1)
Reading: Richard Sclove, “I’d Hammer Out Freedom: Technology as Politics and Culture”
Reading: Langdon Winner, "Artifacts/Ideas and Political Culture"
31. Lecture: Introduction to Basic Ethical Theory [Overheads] (Feb 3)
Reading: Ian Barbour, "Philosophy and Human Values"
32. Lecture: Introduction to Basic Ethical Theory [Overheads] (Feb 8)
Reading: Hans Jonas, "Technology and Responsibility: Reflections on the New Task of Ethics"
33. Lecture: The Tragedy of the Commons [Overheads] (Feb 10)
Reading: Garrett Hardin, "The Tragedy of the Commons"
34. Lecture: The Inevitable but Often Hidden Effects of Technology: Infrastructure, Output, Conditions of Attendance, New Elites and Inducements to Changes in Values [Overheads] (Feb 15)
Reading: Ruth Swartz Cowan, "Industrial Society and Technological Systems."
Reading: David Edgerton, “The Shock of the Old: Production.”
Reading: Freeman Dyson, "Technology and Social Justice" in Society, Ethics and Technology.
Reading: Shiela Jasanoff, “Technologies of Humility: Citizen Participation in Governing Science”
35. Video: National Film Board of Canada. 2006. Radiant City. Written by Gary Burns, Jim Brown, ShirleyVercruysse. 85 min. Videodisc. (Feb 17)
36. Lecture: Infrastructure/Sprawl [Overheads] (Mar 1)
Reading: Ruth Swartz Cowan, "Industrial Society and Technological Systems."
Reading: David Edgerton, “The Shock of the Old: Production.”
Reading: Freeman Dyson, "Technology and Social Justice" in Society, Ethics and Technology.
Reading: Shiela Jasanoff, “Technologies of Humility: Citizen Participation in Governing Science”
37. Class Discussion: Research key words "Peak Oil" and "New Urbanism," and then ask yourself: What is the most critical thing that we should do to address the Issue of Global Warming? (Mar 3)
Reading: Stephen M. Gardiner, "Ethics and Global Climate Change"
Reading: Janet L. Sawin and Kristen Hughes, "Energizing Cities"
38. Lecture: Outputs/Gray Goo [Overheads] (Mar 8)
Reading: Ruth Swartz Cowan, "Industrial Society and Technological Systems."
Reading: David Edgerton, “The Shock of the Old: Production.”
Reading: Freeman Dyson, "Technology and Social Justice" in Society, Ethics and Technology.
Reading: Shiela Jasanoff, “Technologies of Humility: Citizen Participation in Governing Science”
39. Class Discussion: Research key words "Nanotechnology" and "Post Humanism," and then ask yourself: Should development of self-replicating technologies in the fields of genetics, nanotechnology and robotics be “relinquished” in some fashion? If so, what kinds of actions should governments take? [Overheads] (Mar 10)
Reading: Bill Joy, "Why the Future Doesn't Need Us"
Reading: Ray Kurzweil, "Nanoscience, Nanotechnology, and Ethics: Promise and Peril"
40. Lecture: Elites and Knowledge Monopolies/Corporate Agriculture [Overheads] (Mar 15)
Reading: Ruth Swartz Cowan, "Industrial Society and Technological Systems."
Reading: David Edgerton, “The Shock of the Old: Production.”
Reading: Freeman Dyson, "Technology and Social Justice" in Society, Ethics and Technology.
Reading: Shiela Jasanoff, “Technologies of Humility: Citizen Participation in Governing Science”
41. Class Discussion: Research the key word "Substantial Equivalence" and then ask yourself: Are genetically modified foods substantially equivalent to natural foods or should GM’d foods be labeled or even banned from store shelves? (Mar 17)
Reading: Claire Hope Cummings, "Trespass" in Society, Ethics and Technology.
Reading: Claudia Dreifus, "A Conversation With Nina V. Fedoroff An Advocate for Science Diplomacy" [Link to Article]
42. Lecture: Technological Dependency (Mar 22)
Reading: Ruth Swartz Cowan, "Industrial Society and Technological Systems."
Reading: David Edgerton, “The Shock of the Old: Production.”
Reading: Freeman Dyson, "Technology and Social Justice" in Society, Ethics and Technology.
Reading: Shiela Jasanoff, “Technologies of Humility: Citizen Participation in Governing Science”
43. Lecture: Changes in Values/Designer Children (Mar 24)
44. Class Discussion: Research key words "Reproductive Technology" and "Prenatal Screening" and then ask yourself: Is it wrong to manipulate the genetic structure of our children? (Mar 29)
Reading: Lee M. Silver, "A Glimpse of Things to Come"
Reading: Michael J. Sandel, "The Case Against Perfection"
45. Lecture: Final Exam Review (Mar 31)