1. PHILOSOPHY 107 (STOLZE) Notes on Geoffrey Gorham, Philosophy of Science, Chapter 2

2. Defining Science Limitations of the historical approach to defining science (analogy with the boundaries of a country) Testability (ex: prayer vs. drug treatment as explanations of a patient’s recovery from a serious illness) Karl Popper’s Demarcation Criterion Objections to Falsificationism An example: astrology

3. Popper’s Demarcation Criterion “A theory is scientific to the extent that it is falsifiable by empirical tests” (p. 32)

4. Objections to Falsificationism Is falsification really the aim of science? Science doesn’t work this way.

5. An Example of a Pseudo-Science: Astrology Carl Sagan on astrology (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZB88HnlLgZ8&feature=r elated)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZB88HnlLgZ8&feature=r elated Richard Dawkins on astrology (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlMiKrwCRQ0)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlMiKrwCRQ0