Armchair Adventures: Thought Experiments in Science and Philosophy

• Week 1: Foundations—logic over action
  By introducing example thought experiments like Hume’s shade of blue and Newton’s cannon, we’ll see why they are not intended to be actually performed but only thought about, and explore the differences between scientific and philosophical methods.
• Week 2: Destructive thought experiments and reflective equilibrium
  Can a hypothetical scenario debunk a theory? We’ll explore “destructive” thought experiments that reveal fatal contradictions that might refute entire theories. We’ll introduce “reflective equilibrium,” a way to reconcile gut intuitions with logical analysis to reach stable, reasoned beliefs.
• Week 3: Mediative thought experiments
  We’ll examine how thought experiments build conceptual equipment to explore nature. We'll focus on “mediative” scenarios, like Poincaré’s hot-plate world, which guide us through mental landscapes to facilitate new insights into reality’s structure.
• Week 4: Intuition pumps and emotional distance
  Thought experiments often act as “intuition pumps” to promote specific ideas. We’ll analyze scenarios like Thomson’s violinist to see how they can defuse emotional distractions, allowing us to focus on key aspects of complex dilemmas.
• Week 5: Platonic visions and fallibility
  Robert Brown claims that some special thought experiments let us “see” laws of nature directly. We’ll explore the fallibility of these mental leaps and whether they are trustworthy or just convincing rhetorical narratives.
• Week 6: The flexibility of thought
  We’ll see how a thought experiment can evolve over time in what it’s used to establish or explore, from proving motion impossible to supporting spacetime continuity. We’ll conclude by debating if the “armchair” is a productive tool.

By the end of the course, you should be able to:

• Identify the defining characteristics and historical uses of thought experiments
• Explain the difference between conceptual analysis and empirical discovery
• Describe the role of "reflective equilibrium" in reconciling intuitions with logic
• Categorize experiments into Brown’s taxonomy (destructive, constructive, mediative or Platonic)
• Analyze the flexibility of thought experiments as argumentative devices that evolve over time

• Participation in Zoom-based lectures 
• Participation in class discussions and breakout groups
• Supplementary readings and resources accessed through Canvas
• Reflective essay (applicable only to certificate students)

No textbook is required. We will provide all course materials online.