LCC 8130A, CS 8113N, Psy 7011C. Cognitive Models of Science: Philosophical Perspectives.

DESCRIPTION

We will examine to what extent models of human reasoning and representation proposed in the cognitive sciences can provide the basis for an enriched, more nuanced understanding of the nature and development of science. The focus of the course will be on the cognitive models of science proposed by philosophers. Some analyses by psychologists and AI researchers will also be considered. We will address such questions as: By constructing cognitive models, can we better understand how scientists devise and execute real world and thought experiments, construct arguments, create concepts, invent and use mathematical tools, communicate ideas and practices, train practitioners? Can theories and methods in the cognitive sciences provide a means for reconstruction of historical "discovery processes"? What area(s) of cognitive science offer the most potential for fruitful analyses: AI, psychology, or cognitive neuroscience? Can the cognitive practices of scientists inform us about learning in science education? What is the relation between cognitive and social models of science? Do cognitive analyses require abandoning traditional philosophical concerns with rationality and objectivity?

REQUIREMENTS

There will be a significant amount of reading. All students, including those registered for "audit" credit, will make several joint presentations. Those students requiring a letter grade will do an individual or joint research project/paper of their choosing.

TEXTS

M. DeMey: The Cognitive Paradigm (U. of Chicago, 1992)

R. Giere: Explaining Science: A Cognitive Approach (U. of Chicago, 1988)

R. Giere, ed: Cognitive Models of Science (U. of Minnesota, 1992)

P. Churchland: A Neurocomputational Perspective: The Nature of Mind and the Structure of Science (MIT, 1989)

P. Thagard: Conceptual Revolutions (Princeton, 1992)