SMNR: Differing Roles of Evidence in Science and in Law

Course Information

Registration Information

Meeting Times

Day Time Location
THU 2:15 - 4:05 pm TNH 3.114

Evaluation Method

Type Date Time Location
Paper

Description

Cross-Listing Two of the major truth-seeking enterprises in modern society - the natural sciences and the law - purport to be grounded on empirical evidence. The curious fact is, however, that the ways in which these two activities utilize evidence are starkly different. For instance, legal adjudication depends very heavily on the notions of a standard of poof and a burden of proof. The sciences generally dispense with both ideas. On the other hand, the sciences are very keen on the testing of hypotheses and the robust design of experiments to test them. Courts generally do not do experiments and, even then, their notion of a "test" is very different from the scientific one. Our aim in this seminar will be to explore other both of them activities - science or the law - couldn't profit from making itself more like its counterpart.

Textbooks ( * denotes required )

Truth, Error and Criminal Law *
Larry Laudan
Cambridge U. Press , edition: paperback
ISBN: 978-0-521-73035-8
Evidence Matters *
Susan Haack
Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 978-1-107-69834-5

Instructors

Headshot of Laudan, Larry Laudan, Larry
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Important Class Changes

Date Updated
11/01/2017 Course is cross listed
Course title updated
Room(s) changed