Professor Franklin's research is on the history and philosophy of science, with particular emphasis on the role of experiment in physics. His historical studies include parity nonconconservation, CP-violation, and Millikan's oil drop experiment. On the philosophical side, he has worked on the Duhem-Quine problem, the question of how one can localize support or refutation, and on confirmation theory, using a Bayesian approach. He has also discussed an epistemology of experiment, a set of strategies that provide rational belief in experimental results. These strategies distinguish between a valid experimental result and an artifact created by the experimental apparatus. His most recent book, 'Ending the Mendel-Fisher Controversy,' is on the history of genetics. His book 'Shifting Standards: Experiment in Particle Physics in the Twentieth Century has been published by the University of Pittsburgh Press.
keywords
History and philosophy of science, particularly on the roles of experiment
PHIL 6400 - Seminar in Philosophy of Science
Primary Instructor
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Fall 2025
Topics connected with development of nature of science: the structure of scientific theories, the testing of hypotheses, the theory of decisions in science and the basic conceptions and models of abstraction in the history of science. May be repeated up to 15 total credit hours.
