Philosophy of Science (COR1002)

[titel(Finding a Common Thread)beschrijving(We will discuss the following concepts and questions: What is truth?; What is knowledge?; How does science go about gathering knowledge and finding truth?; What does it mean for science to be subjective or objective?)duur(150 minutes)]

[titel(Sources of Knowledge)beschrijving(We will discuss the following concepts and questions: The common sense view; What is science?; What is science based on?; How do we gather scientific knowledge?)duur(135 minutes)]

[titel(Induction: Hempel and Hume)beschrijving(We will discuss the following concepts and questions: Induction; How is induction used in an argumentative structure?; How does induction lead us to truth and knowledge?; Why is induction wrong?)duur(150 minutes)]

[titel(Explanation and Prediction: Hempel)beschrijving(We will discuss the following concepts and questions: Explanation and Prediction; How are explanation and prediction different?; How is the traditional concept of scientific explanation different from Hempel’s?)duur(135 minutes)]

[titel(Problem Solving: Popper)beschrijving(We will discuss the following concepts and questions: Refutation/Falsification; How does corroboration contribute to the growth of ideas?; How does empirical content relate to the growth of science?; How can science be objective [according to Popper]?; What place does the subject have in science’s quest for knowledge?)duur(150 minutes)]

[titel(Paradigms & Research Programmes: Kuhn and Lakatos)beschrijving(We will discuss the following concepts and questions: How is [or should] science be structured?; What aspects of science make it a traditionalist endeavour?; How does change happen [in science]?; Research programs; Differences between paradigms and research programs; What is Lakatos’ criticism on Kuhn’s ideas?; What is Lakatos’ criticism on Popper’s ideas?)duur(150 minutes)]

[titel(Progress, Science, Relativism: Bortolotti and Haraway)beschrijving(We will discuss the following concepts and questions: Rationalism; The ‘view from nowhere’ and its implications; Relativism; What is relativism’s major flaw?; What is the place of feminism in science?)duur(135 minutes)]

[titel(Explanation in the Social Sciences: Hollis)beschrijving(We will discuss the following concepts and questions: Structuralism; Functionalism; How do structuralism and functionalism relate to systems and society?; The individualist perspective; How do norms and values create a society?; Why should we talk about society in Science?)duur(150 minutes)]

[titel(Economics: Hayek and Popper)beschrijving(We will discuss the following concepts and questions: Prediction; Can science predict anything at all?; What is the goal of science?; What is the role of science for society?; Differences between social and natural sciences; How does knowledge determine behavior?; What is wrong with historicism?)duur(135 minutes)]

[titel(Understanding: ‘Science’ of the Humanities: Hollis and Habermas)beschrijving(We will discuss the following concepts and questions: Understanding; Why is understanding particular to the humanities?; How does understanding help us study human action?; What is communication?; What is communicative action?; What role does rationality play in understanding?)duur(150 minutes)]

[titel(Power: Science and Society: Foucault, Habermas, and Szasz)beschrijving(We will discuss the following concepts and questions: How does it all hold together?; What, and why, is power, and what role does it play in science?; What types of knowledge are there, according to Habermas? Psychiatric science: Why does Szasz say that mental illness is a myth, and what exactly does he mean by that?; What are Szasz’ concepts of responsibility and blame?; How is the concept of normality defined, and what role does science play in this definition?; What does ‘medicalisation of behavior’ mean?; How does the myth of mental illness bridge science and social science?)duur(150 minutes)]

[titel(Exam preparation)beschrijving(Discussion of the exam’s structure and strategies: Identification of concepts throughout the course; Discussion of specific links between main ideas; Blitz ‘associations’ practice; Concept map review.)duur(150 minutes)]

[titel(Exam simulation)beschrijving(90 minutes exam simulation, 90 minutes exam discussion and review.)duur(180 minutes)]

[titel(Extra: Paper writing)beschrijving(Help with the structure or the argumentation of the written assignment: Restructuring the paper; Discussing the argument; Relating it to course materials; Helping to elucidate what you want to say through discussion.)duur(120 minutes)]

[titel(Assessment of student’s need)beschrijving(In this session, the tutor engages one-on-one with a student to determine which sessions of the exam training program are most aligned with the student's specific needs.)duur(120 minutes)]

[titel(General summary)beschrijving(This lesson will be an overview of the most important ideas and concepts in the course. We will both look at the main guiding threads and at a summary of each philosopher’s ideas.)duur(135 minutes)]

[titel(Starting to connect)beschrijving(Hands-on practice which zooms out from specific concepts and aims to understand structure. We will work with questions such as: What are the differences between the humanities, the natural and the social sciences?; What different types of knowledge and of explanation do they seek?; Why are they concerned with the specific questions they are concerned about?; In what different ‘blocks’ can the course’s concepts be classified?)duur(90 minutes)]

[titel(In-depth understanding)beschrijving(Hands-on practice with the reviewed concepts from lesson #1. Practice linking the concepts together, contrasting them, finding similarities and differences. We will practice with questions such as: What did Lakatos say on Popper?; How do Habermas’ and Popper’s conceptions of knowledge differ?; What different scientific methods are there, and how can we argue for each of them [or not]?)duur(90 minutes)]

[titel(Blitz exam practice)beschrijving(Practice quickly making associations between concepts and describing them in the least words possible to capture the essence of the link between them. This practice builds upon the earlier review of concepts and ideas, and it will serve for the student to spot those areas where more in-depth explanation is needed.)duur(90 minutes)]