Prof. Brad Skow Spring 2007 MWF 11:15 Herter 210
Updated 5/1/07
This course is divided into two parts. In part 1 we will look at philosophical questions raised by physics. The popular press has probably exposed you to some of the interesting questions raised about space, time, and the nature of reality by Einstein's theory of relativity and by Quantum Mechanics. Discussing those questions requires an understanding of those theories that goes beyond what we can hope to cover in this class. But there are plenty of philosophical questions (also about space, time, and the nature of reality) raised by pre-relativistic, pre-quantum physics. We will talk about some of those. In part 2 we will look at philosophical questions raised by the theory of evolution.
The order of topics is subject to change, but the tentative list is:
One or two homework assignments, worth a combined total of 10% of your final grade; two exams and a final paper, each worth 30% of your final grade.
Exams will be conducted in class. The tentative dates of the exams are:
Late work will not be accepted without a legitimate excuse. Legitimate excuses include: a documented illness; a family emergency; UMass varsity athletics.
Don't do it. The university's official regulations regarding academic honesty are here. (They include a statement of what counts as a violation and a statement of the procedures that must be followed whenever a violation is suspected.) If you violate them many bad things will happen to you. Two of them are: you will fail this course, and your conduct will be reported to the dean.