Philosophy of Science
Objectives
1. To identify rationality parameters operating in scientific practice and the philosophical concepts and principles sustaining it.
2. To identify the key scientific paradigms and their philosophical assumptions.
3. To recognize and spell out with accuracy the philosophical questions raised by scientific knowledge.
4. To get to know some of the most relevant literature in the field of philosophy of science.
5. To recognize the specificity of recent contributions within philosophy of science
General characterization
Code
711031058
Credits
6.0
Responsible teacher
Pietro Gori
Hours
Weekly - 4
Total - 168
Teaching language
Portuguese
Prerequisites
None.
Bibliography
- Ladyman, J. (2002): Understanding Philosophy of Science, London and New York: Routledge.
- Okasha, S. (2016): Philosophy of Science. A Very Short Introduction, Oxford: Oxford University Press.
- Massimi, M. “Why Philosophy of Science Matters to Science”, Notes and Records 73(2019), pp. 353-367.
- Rovelli, C. (2018): “Physics Needs Philosophy. Philosophy Needs Physics”, in Foundations of Physics 48/5, pp. 481-491.
- Giere, R. (2006): Scientific Perspectivism, Chicago: The University of Chicago Press.
- Kuhn, T. (2022): A estrutura das revoluções científicas, Lisboa: Guerra e Paz.
- Kuhn, T. (2023): A pluralidade dos mundos: Lisboa: Guerra e Paz.
Additional material will be also made available throughout the course.
Teaching method
The course has a theoretical-practical nature. Some of the classes will be devoted to the presentation, contextualization, and critical discussion of some o the main issues debated in the philosophy of science, while other classes will be focused on the analysis and discussion of relevant classic texts. The students will have access to the texts that will be discusses during the classes.
Participation in person to the classes is highly recommended.
Evaluation method
1. Written exam at the end of the first period (40%)
2. Written exam at the end of the second period (60%)
The active participation in the classes will also be considered in both the evaluations.
Subject matter
The course is divided into two parts:
1. The first part will be devoted to the main issues of the philosophy of science. Aim of this part is to provide the students with the fundamental tools required to develop critical reflection on those issues. Special attention will be given to (a) the relationship between science and philosophy; (b) the proper character of knowledge in general and of scientific knowledge more in particular; (c) the discussion around the development and methodology of science; (d) the question of explanation in science; (e) the problem of realism and anti-realism, with a focus on scientific perspectivism.
2. The second part of the course will be devoted to the work of Thomas Kuhn. Special attention will be given to (a) Kuhn's "revolutionary" conception of the growth of scientific knowledge; (b) the issue of "incommensurability", that Kuhn introduces in his main work, and on which he continues to work in the following years; (c) the "historicist" and "hermeneutic" approach to the philosophy of science defended by Kuhn in his late writings.