History of Science and Medicine|Philosophy|Philosophy of Science

Much of science aims to find and use causes, and finding evidence of causes and mechanisms is a core problem of science. Does penicillin cure bacterial...

Causality, Mechanism and Evidence in Science (HPSC0084)

Much of science aims to find and use causes, and finding evidence of causes and mechanisms is a core problem of science. Does penicillin cure bacterial infection? How large a dose and how often should we give a dose to be effective? Mechanisms are key elements of causal descriptions. For example, we seem to explain how penicillin cures bacterial infection when describing the mechanism by which it kills bacteria in the body. This module explores some of the most important views of causality and mechanisms in philosophy of science, and it examines how these views affect our understanding of the world around us.

MODERN HISTORY|COLD WAR|UNITED STATES|SOVIET UNION

The Cold War was not just a confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union, but a geopolitical force-field within which the world developed...

University of Pennsylvania History Module B (HIST0865)

The Cold War was not just a confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union, but a geopolitical force-field within which the world developed for nearly five decades. This seminar explores the Cold War as a global contest pitting the scientifically planned economy against the free market, the purpose-driven society against the individual pursuit of happiness – a battle for hearts and minds waged in the realm of politics, ideas, technology, and culture. We will investigate the contest’s origins, the formation of opposing blocs, the interplay between periods of tension and détente, and the relationship between the center of the conflict in the North Atlantic/European arena and its global periphery – as well as the Cold War’s sudden and unforeseen end. Basic familiarity with twentieth-century history is an asset but not a requirement for enrolment.

This module will be taught by Professor Benjamin Nathans.