Philosophy of Science I
Science is considered the best tool we have to learn about the way the world around us works. Philosophy of science investigates what scientific claims tell us about the way the world is, as well as how scientists acquire that knowledge and why that knowledge is justified. This course introduces philosophy of science by focusing on seven central topics in contemporary philosophers of science. Each topic will be tied to historical developments in 20th century philosophy of science.
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Course structure
Language of instruction: Swedish
Requirements
Attendance and participation
Due to the unusual circumstances, the attendance requirement for this class has been waived.Two short essays
Students will complete two essays for this course; one in the middle of the course, one towards the end of the course. I will distribute prompts for both essays well in advance, together with the grading rubric. The first essay will primarily focus on argument reconstruction, while the second will require original argumentation in context of a debate in philosophy of science by drawing on the literature
discussed in class. Each essay should be approx. 1200 – 2000 words.Teaching format
Instructor: Henning Strandin
Teaching format: lectures
Mandatory attendance
Vid kursstart meddelar läraren om kursplanens krav på minst 50% närvaro på denna kurs är i kraft eller ifall det upphävs.Course goals
At the end of this course, students will have developed the following skills:
● History and philosophy of science
o Give a brief overview of the history of 20th century philosophy of science
o Identify and explain different views in central debates in philosophy of science
o Explain key concepts from philosophy of science
● Philosophical skills
o Active reading of philosophical texts
o Argument reconstruction
o Raising objections to a given philosophical argument
o Write a brief argumentative essay on a topic in philosophy of science -
Schedule
The schedule will be available no later than one month before the start of the course. We do not recommend print-outs as changes can occur. At the start of the course, your department will advise where you can find your schedule during the course. -
Course literature
Note that the course literature can be changed up to two months before the start of the course.Rosenberg, Alex, and Lee McIntyre (2020) Philosophy of Science: A Contemporary Introduction (Fourth Edition) New York: London. Pp. 294.
All other readings will be made available online.
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Contact
Studievägledare Sama Agahi
Studierektor Mattias Högström
