Why did Feynman value having a “philosophy of ignorance”?.
This assignment involves a couple of short readings and a set of exercises related to the philosophy of science (and, perhaps, physics in particular), as well as the ways with which we classify various fields of study. Reading #1: excerpt from Chapter 1 of The Meaning of It All: Thoughts of a Citizen Scientist, by Richard Feynman (Perseus, 1998). Exercise 1: In conjunction with Reading #1, write a few sentences about each of the following questions: (a) Why did Feynman value having a “philosophy of ignorance”? (b) Many media outlets strive to give equal weighting to both sides of debates about scientific issues. What kinds of problems might this lead to? Can you think of a specific topic in which the absence of complete scientific certainty was used to support a completely different conclusion? Reading #2: excerpt from Chapter 4 of The Character of Physical Law, by Richard Feynman (MIT Press, 1967). Exercise 2: In conjunction with Reading #2, write a few sentences about each of the following questions: (a) In human interactions, the word “hierarchy” often has negative implications, suggesting undeserved inequalities and a power structure. How did Feynman use this word in conjunction with the pursuit of knowledge? (b) The Department of Science at Augustana consists of five major disciplines. Make a list of them and, for each one, briefly outline how a scientist working in this area might be able to advance our understanding of the H5N1 virus (a.k.a., avian influenza).