Center Discussion Group
Time: Friday afternoons (every other week), 1:30–3:00 pm Central time
Place: 737 Heller Hall and online via Zoom
The Center discussion group (CtrDG) reads and discusses works of mutual interest in the philosophy of science, broadly construed. We have a tradition of reading works of important authors and then having them visit to discuss their work with the group. CtrDG visitors have included Nancy Cartwright, John Dupré, Margaret Morrison, Bas van Fraassen, William C. Wimsatt, and James Woodward, each of whose work we read during a semester preceding their separate visits.
Colleagues from area schools and fields outside philosophy regularly participate in our discussions. We continue to seek new participants. All faculty from the University of Minnesota and area colleges and universities are welcome to attend whenever they would like (and without invitation). Postdoctoral fellows and Ph.D. students are also welcome to attend. For further information, contact Alan Love ([email protected]).
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Spring 2026
January 23: Introduction (pp. 1-12)
February 6: Ch. 1 (pp. 15-39) and Ch. 3 (pp. 75-106)
February 20: TBC
March 20: TBC
April 3: TBC
April 17: TBC
April 24: TBC; Roman Frigg, LSE, will be visiting.
Autumn 2025
September 5: Chapter 1 (pp. 1-47), "Moderate Empiricism and Machine Learning"
September 19: Chapter 2 (pp. 48-93), "What is Deep Learning, and How Should We Evaluate its Potential"; William Goodwin, University South Florida, will be visiting.
October 3: Chapter 3 (pp. 94-141), "Perception"
October 17: Chapter 4 (pp.142-189), "Memory"; Katie Plaisance, University of Waterloo, Canada, will be visiting.
October 31: Chapter 5 (pp. 190-238), "Imagination"
November 13: We will meet on Thursday this week to accommodate a symposium on Friday.
Chapter 6 (pp. 239-304), "Attention"; Cameron Buckner, University of Florida, will be visiting.
December 5: Chapter 7 (pp. 305-344), "Social Cognition"
Spring 2025
This semester the Center Discussion Group will be reading:
Chang, Hasok. 2022. Realism for Realistic People: A New Pragmatist Philosophy of Science. Cambridge University Press.
An electronic copy is available through the University of Minnesota Libraries.
January 31: Introduction
February 14: Chapter 1
February 28: Chapter 2
March 21: Chapter 3
April 4: Chapter 4
April 11: Chapter 5 and concluding remarks
Fall 2024
This semester the Center Discussion Group will be reading: Woodward, J.F. 2021. Causation with a Human Face: Normative Theory and Descriptive Psychology. New York: Oxford University Press. An electronic copy is available through the University of Minnesota Libraries.
September 13: Woodward, J.F. 2021. Causation with a Human Face: Normative Theory and Descriptive Psychology. New York: Oxford University Press. Introduction (pp 1-14)
September 27: Woodward, J.F. 2021. Causation with a Human Face: Normative Theory and Descriptive Psychology. New York: Oxford University Press. Chapter 1 (pp 15-60)
October 11: Woodward, J.F. 2021. Causation with a Human Face: Normative Theory and Descriptive Psychology. New York: Oxford University Press. Chapter 2 (pp 61-114)
November 1: Woodward, J.F. 2021. Causation with a Human Face: Normative Theory and Descriptive Psychology. New York: Oxford University Press. Chapter 3 (pp 115-168)
November 22: Woodward, J.F. 2021. Causation with a Human Face: Normative Theory and Descriptive Psychology. New York: Oxford University Press. Chapter 4 (pp 169-226)