The principal source of background knowledge for your essay must be the topic discussion in Chapter 6 of the Okasha text. You may use other sources to supplement your essay. If you do, you must include a “Works Cited” page at the end giving complete information about your source(s)—including the complete URL if it is a web page. You must also put the material you copy from any source in quotes with a note in parentheses after the quote with its source (e.g., Okasha, p. 100). Every entry in your “Works Cited” page must be included and cited with a quotation or a paraphrase in the body of your essay.
4. Your essay must answer the specific questions given below for each topic:
a. Absolute Space and Time.
What are the differences between the concepts of space held by Leibniz and Newton? Explain the consequences of their views in terms of motion. What is “space” like in the two views? Describe and explain their thought experiments to defend their positions. Make references to the issues of this course given in lecture; that is, analyze your selected theory dispute in terms of scientific inference, scientific explanation, realism and antirealism, rationality of theory choice, and/or possible bias from external values.
b. Biological Classification.
Describe and explain the Linnean system, the BSC, and phylogenetic systematics classification systems. What are the arguments for each? Compare and contrast the views of Aristotle, Darwin, and Mayr with regard to these systems. Make references to the issues of this course given in lecture; that is, analyze your selected theory dispute in terms of scientific inference, scientific explanation, realism and antirealism, rationality of theory choice, and/or possible bias from external values.
c. Modularity of Mind.
Explain the origins and arguments for the modularity of human cognitive abilities and compare to the general-purpose problem solver model. What is the theory of Jerry Fodor and how does it differ from Noam Chomsky’s views and the “massive modularity” thesis. Make references to the issues of this course given in lecture; that is, analyze your selected theory dispute in terms of scientific inference, scientific explanation, realism and antirealism, rationality of theory choice, and/or possible bias from external values.
This assignment must be typed and submitted electronically in MS Word (doc. or docx.) format. The file must be named in the following format: Lastname_Assignment8.doc Submit your completed document to Assignment 8, listed on the Modules and Assignments pages, as a file attachment.
