Corso di laurea magistrale in Filosofia

The course aims at presenting and discussing the way in which the relationship between science and philosophy has been conceived of in the history of analytic philosophy, from the Linguistic Turn to the last decades.

Students who attend the course will be required to discuss and compare two fundamental metaphilosophical views: the claim - characteristic of the so-called Linguistic Turn - that there is a sharp divide between science and philosophy, and the claim - which gradually prevailed after WWII - that science and philosophy are continuous.

The course will be taught mainly online and in part, if possible, in class. Each week some lectures with audio comments will be uploaded onto the Moodle platform, together with some suggested or required readings. There will also be some meetings – in class, if possible, otherwise online – during which we will discuss some of the issues that have arisen during the course.

If possible, there will be a written exam (some questions to be answered in class at the end of the course).

 

Otherwise, an oral exam.

The science-philosophy continuity thesis and the science-philosophy divide thesis will be discussed as follows:
- preliminarily, the issue will be considered in the context of the origins of analytic philosophy, especially in the work of Bertrand Russell;
- the main "Linguistic Turn" arguments for the claim that science and philosophy are sharply divided (science aims at providing first-order knowledge of facts, philosophy aims at achieving conceptual clarity) will be discussed, with a special focus on the works of Wittgenstein and Carnap;
- the main episodes which, in the history of analytic philosophy, lead to the end of the Linguistic Turn and the success of the continuity thesis – episodes involving authors such as Quine, Reichenbach, Putnam, Davidson, Kripke, D. Lewis, Williamson – will be examined;
- it will be shown that the success of the continuitist view depended not only (or not so much) on philosophical arguments but also (or above all) on external sociological factors.

Several parts of P. Tripodi, Analytic Philosophy and the Later Wittgensteinian Tradition, Palgrave Macmillan, 2020 will be presented during the course.

Articles and/or selected passages from the works of Carnap, Wittgenstein, Quine, Reichenbach, Strawson, Putnam, Davidson, Kripke, Lewis, Williamson will be made available by the instructor.

On the sociological issues, students are invited to read
C. Schorske, The New rigorism in the Human Sciences, 1940-1960, https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/20027418.pdf?seq=1
and
Elzinga A. (2012), ‘Features of the Current Science Policy Regime: Viewed in Historical Perspective,’ Science and Public Policy, 39 (4), 416-28, https://academic.oup.com/spp/article-abstract/39/4/416/1668942.

History of Philosophy II (2020-21)

The Science/Philosophy Divide in the History of Analytic Philosophy

 

General Information

 Three kinds of classes are planned (the overall number of classes is 18)

- 4 online classes on Webex (https://unito.webex.com/meet/paolo.tripodi), especially devoted to providing an overview and to discussion (possibly, we could add a further class at the end, but we will see)

- 11 recorded lectures: Powerpoint slides + audio comments uploaded onto the Moodle platform

- 3 invited online classes on Webex (https://unito.webex.com/meet/paolo.tripodi)

 

Very short schedule

30 November 12-14 on Webex: Introduction and Syllabus

Approximately 8 December: 3 recorded lectures uploaded on Moodle

14 December 12-14 on Webex: Overview and discussion

Approximately 15 December: 3 recorded lectures uploaded on Moodle

21 December 12-14 on Webex: Overview and discussion

First week of January 2021: 5 recorded lectures uploaded on Moodle

11 January 12-14 on Webex: Overview and discussion

13 January 12-14 on Webex: Invited lecture (C. Gabbani)

20 January 12-14 on Webex: Invited lecture (D. Marconi)

25 January 12-14 on Webex: Invited lecture (P. Frascolla)

 

Detailed schedule

Week 1

30.11 Online Class on Webex (12-14)

1. Introduction and syllabus presentation

Possible readings: 

G.H. von Wright, “Analytic Philosophy: a Historico-Critical Survey”, 1993

 

Four recorded preliminary lessons uploaded on Moodle (3 on Wittgenstein and 1 on Carnap): optional, but recommended for those who are not acquainted with the work of Wittgenstein, early and late, and Carnap.

 

Week 2

7.12 - 9.12: Powerpoint Slides + Audio Comments uploaded onto the Moodle platform

Focus: The Linguistic Turn

2) Wittgenstein, early and late

3) Wittgenstein and Carnap: Metaphilosophical Similarities and Differences

4) Strawson vs. Carnap on Explication

 

Week 3

14.12 Webex online class (12-14)

5) Overview and discussion: the Linguistic Turn

Possible readings: 

Uploaded classes 2, 3, and 4

Chapter 3 of P. Tripodi, Analytic Philosophy and the Later Wittgensteinian Tradition, 2020

P.F. Strawson, “Carnap’s Views on Constructed Systems Versus Natural Languages in Analytic Philosophy”, 1963

R. Carnap, “P.F. Strawson on Linguistic Naturalism”, 1963

 

15.12 or 16.12: Powerpoint slides + audio comments uploaded onto the Moodle platform

6) Quine and the Naturalistic Turn

7) The New Rigourism in the Humanities: the 1950s at Harvard

8) Neoclassical Economics and Analytic Philosophy

 

Week 4

21.12 Online Class on Webex (12-14)

9) Overview and discussion: Quine, Naturalism, and the New Rigourism in the Human Sciences

Possible readings

Uploaded classes 6, 7, and 8

Chapter 4 of P. Tripodi, Analytic Philosophy and the Later Wittgensteinian Tradition, 2020

W.V.O. Quine, “Two Dogmas of Empiricism”, 1951

C. Schorske, “The New rigorism in the Human Sciences, 1940-1960”, 1997

A. Elzinga A., “Features of the Current Science Policy Regime: Viewed in Historical Perspective,” 2013

 

Week 5

During Christmas holidays some further Powerpoint slides + audio comments will be uploaded onto the Moodle platform

10) Putnam on criteria and symptoms

11) Davidson on reasons and causes;

12) Sellars on the two Images;

13) Metaphilosophy or Philosophical Style? Reflections on Conceptual Analysis and the Return of Metaphysics

14) Williamson’s Anti-Exceptionalism

 

Week 5

11.1 Webex online class (12-14)

15) Overview and discussion on the issues presented in classes 10-14

 

Possible readings

Uploaded classes 10-14

H. Putnam, Dreaming and “depth” grammar, 1962

D. Davidson, Actions, Reasons and Causes, 1963

W. Sellars, Philosophy and the Scientific Image of Man, 1962

Chapters 5 and 6 of P. Tripodi, Analytic Philosophy and the Later Wittgensteinian Tradition, 2020

Chapters 3, 4, 5, and Forward of T. Williamson, The Philosophy of Philosophy, 2007

 

13.1 Invited class (12-14 on Webex)

16) Carlo Gabbani, The idea of “scientia mensura” in Sellars’s philosophy

 

Week 6

20.1 Webex invited class (12-14)

17) Diego Marconi, Difficulties with Naturalism

 

Week 7

25.1 Webex invited class (12-14)

18) Lello Frascolla, On the Exceptionality of Philosophy: Is There Discontinuity between Philosophy and Science?