Research Group
in Analytic Philosophy

Philip Kitcher’s Philosophy of Science (PhK)

Selected Fridays, 11:30-1:30
Sala de videoconferencies (Seminari B11),
Facultat de Filosofia i Lletres
UAB, Departament de Filosofia

Organization: Prof. Dr. Thomas Sturm & Dr. Roger Deulofeu

Philip Kitcher is among the leading philosophers of science of our times. In his works, he has
not only used numerous historical case studies – from mathematics, biology, chemistry,
geology, and other fields – but also defended a historicism and pragmatism that claims to
be compatible with forms of realism and rationalism about science and its progress. In
addition, he argues for an important role of social studies of science, and addresses
important ethical and societal issues concerning science. In doing so, his views have
undergone some significant changes. By discussing selected publications of Kitcher’s
ouevre, we will both try to understand these changes and to critically assess his ideas as
well.

All welcome, but please register: Thomas.Sturm at uab.cat



Convenor:

Thomas Sturm

Sessions

  • The division of cognitive labor

    Kitcher, P. 1990. The division of cognitive labor. Journal of Philosophy 87, 5-22.

    21 October 2022

    11:30, Sala de videoconferencies (Seminari B11)

  • The Advancement of Science

    Kitcher, P. 1993. The Advancement of Science, ch. 1 & 3.
    Shapere, D. 1995. Kitcher on advancing science. Philosophy and Phenomenological Research 55, 647-651.

    04 November 2022

    11:30, Sala de videoconferencies (Seminari B11)

  • The Advancement of Science (II)

    Kitcher, P. 1993. The Advancement of Science, ch. 4.
    Optional: Kitcher, P. 1993. The Advancement of Science, ch. 5.

    25 November 2022

    11:30, Sala de videoconferencies (Seminari B11)

  • The Advancement of Science (III)

    Kitcher, P. 1993. The Advancement of Science, ch. 6.
    Optional: Solomon, M. 1995. Legend’s naturalism and the advancement of science. Studies in History and Philosophy of Science 26, 205-218.

    09 December 2022

    11:30, Sala de videoconferencies (Seminari B11)

  • Real realism

    Kitcher, P. 2001. Real realism. Philosophical Review 93, 151-197.
    Optional:
    Kitcher, P. 2012. Pragmatism and realism: A modest proposal. In P. Kitcher, Preludes to Pragmatism. Oxford: Oxford UP, 128-144.
    Massimi, M. 2016. Bringing real realism back home. A perspectival slant (& Reply by Kitcher). In Couch, M. & J. Pfeifer (eds.), The Philosophy of Philip Kitcher. Oxford: Oxford UP, 98-120.

    20 January 2023

    11:30, Sala de videoconferencies (Seminari B11)

  • A plea for science studies

    Kitcher, P. 1998. A plea for science studies. In N. Koertge (ed.), A House Built on Sand. New York & Oxford: Oxford UP, 32-56.
    Kitcher, P. 2000. Reviving the sociology of science. Philosophy of Science 67 (Suppl vol.), S33-S44.

    17 February 2023

    11:30, Sala de videoconferencies (Seminari B11)

  • Epistemology without history is blind

    Kitcher, P. 2012. Epistemology without history is blind. Erkenntnis 75, 505-425.

    10 March 2023

    11:30, Sala de videoconferencies (Seminari B11)

  • Science, Truth and Democracy

    Kitcher, P. 2001. Science, Truth and Democracy. ch. 8.
    Dupré, J. 2004. Science and values, and values in science. Comment’s on Philip Kitcher’s Science, Truth and Democracy. Inquiry 47, 505-514.

    31 March 2023

    11:30, Sala de videoconferencies (Seminari B11)

  • Science in a Democratic Society

    Kitcher, P. 2011. Science in a Democratic Society, ch. 1.

    14 April 2023

    11:30, Sala de videoconferencies (Seminari B11)

  • Science in a Democratic Society (II)

    Kitcher, P. 2011. Science in a Democratic Society, ch. 5.
    Dupré, J. 2016. Towards a political philosophy of science (& Reply by Kitcher). In Couch, M. & J. Pfeifer (eds.), The Philosophy of Philip Kitcher. Oxford: Oxford UP 182-205.

    05 May 2023

    11:30, Sala de videoconferencies (Seminari B11)

  • Philosophy of Science

    Barker, G. & P. Kitcher 2014. Philosophy of Science. New York & Oxford: Oxford UP, ch. 4.

    26 May 2023

    11:30, Sala de videoconferencies (Seminari B11)

  • So… who is your audience?

    Kitcher, P. 2019. So… who is your audience? European Journal of Philosophy of Science 9, 1-15.

    16 June 2023

    11:30, Sala de videoconferencies (Seminari B11)

  • Further readings

    • Couch, M., & Pfeifer, J. (eds.). 2016. The Philosophy of Philip Kitcher. Oxford: Oxford UP.
    • Friedman, M. 1996. Objectivity and history. A critical discussion. Erkenntnis 44, 379-395.
    • Gonzalez, W.J. 2008. Evolutionism from a contemporary viewpoint: The philosophical-methodological approach. In W.J. Gonzalez (ed.), Evolutionism: Present Approaches. A Coruña: Netbiblo, 3-59.
    • W.J. Gonzalez (ed.) 2011. Scientific Realism and Democratic Society: The Philosophy of Philip Kitcher. Amsterdam: Rodopi.
    • Humphreys, P. 1993. Greater unification equals greater understanding? Analysis 53, 183-188
    • Kitcher, P. 1978. Theories, theorists and theoretical change. Philosophical Review 87, 519-547.
    • Kitcher, P. 1981. Explanatory unification. Philosophy of Science 48, 507-531.
    • Kitcher, P. 1984. 1953 and all that. A tale of two sciences. Philosophical Review 93, 335-373.
    • Kitcher, P. 1985. Vaulting Ambition: Sociobiology and the Quest for Human Nature. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
    • Kitcher, P. 1985. Two approaches to explanation. Journal of Philosophy 82, 632-639.
    • Kitcher, P. 1988. Mathematical naturalism. In W Aspray & P. Kitcher (eds.), History and Philosophy of Modern Mathematics. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press, 293-325.
    • Kitcher, P. 1989. Explanatory unification and the causal structure of the world. In P. Kitcher & W. Salmon (eds.), Scientific Explanation. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press, 410-505.
    • Kitcher, P. 1992. The naturalist returns. Philosophical Review 101, 53-114.
    • Kitcher, P. 1994. The unity of nature and the unity of science. In P. Parrini (ed.), Kant’s and Contemporary Epistemology. Dordrecht: Kluwer, 253-272.
    • Kitcher, P. 1993. The Advancement of Science. New York, NY: Oxford UP.
    • Kitcher, P. 2001. Science, Truth, and Democracy. New York, NY: Oxford UP.
    • Kitcher, P. 2003. In Mendel’s Mirror: Philosophical Reflections on Biology. New York, NY: Oxford UP.
    • Kitcher, P. 2002. On the explanatory role of correspondence truth. Philosophy and Phenomenological Research 64, 346-364.
    • Kitcher, P. 2007. Scientific research – who should govern? Nanoethics 1, 177-184.
    • Kitcher, P. 2011. Science in a Democratic Society. Amherst, NY: Prometheus Books.
    • Kitcher, P. & P.K. Stanford. 2000. Refining the causal theory of reference for natural kind terms. Philosophical Studies 97, 99-129.
    • Roorda, J. 1997. Kitcher on theory choice. Erkenntnis 46, 215-239.
    • Shapere, D. 1995. Kitcher on advancing science. Philosophy and Phenomenological Research 55, 647-651.
    • Simon, J. 2006. The proper ends of science: Philip Kitcher, science, and the good. Philosophy of Science 73, 194-214.

    23 June 2023

    00:00