Philosophy of Science (PHIL*2180)

Term: Fall 2012

Details

In this course we will survey a number of the central issues that arise from a philosophical study of the natural sciences. In the first part of the course we will
look at the logical positivist model of science and of scientific theories and at some associated concerns, e.g. the observational/theoretical distinction and the
problem of underdetermination. After that we will read Thomas Kuhn’s landmark work The Structure of Scientific Revolutions (1962). The last third of the course will be devoted to some of the issues that have preoccupied philosophy of science since the initial publication of Kuhn’s book, including social constructivist accounts of science and, more generally, questions on the objectivity of science. Throughout the course we will look for answers to the following questions: what is the nature of science? Is there a scientific method? Are the sciences rational? Do the entities contained in scientific theories, such as genes and electrons, really exist? And what role does gender play in science?

Syllabus

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