Philosophy of Science 3800-FN23-M-OG

The lectures aim to provide a thorough introduction to the main problems of philosophy of science and cover, among others, the following issues: methodological contexts of discovery, justification and pursuit, the relation between theories of scientific rationality and the history of science, the concept of science, the problem of induction, the criterion of demarcation, the empirical basis of science, observational and theoretical language, logical positivism, falsificationism, I. Lakatos’ theory of scientific research programmes, L. Laudan’s theories of scientific rationality, T. S. Kuhn’s philosophy of science, the controversy between realists and antirealists, no miracles argument for realism, pessimistic meta-induction, the status of theoretical objects according to W. V. O. Quine, B. van Fraassen’s constructive empiricism, the thesis of underdetermination of theory by data, holism, pragmatic factors and cognitive values, fallibilism, conventionalism, paradoxes of confirmation, N. Goodman’s new riddle of induction, interpretations of probability (mathematical theory, classical, logical, subjective and frequency interpretations), the role of probability in science, models of explanation. The discussed issues are illustrated with the examples from the history of science. A special emphasis is be put on the analysis of important events in the history of science from the vantage point of different accounts of scientific rationality. The Copernican, chemical and Darwinian revolutions as well as the emergence of classical, relativistic and quantum mechanics are discussed.

Type of course

general courses
elective monographs

Course coordinators

Adrian Kuźniar

Learning outcomes

Students:
- have a comprehensive knowledge of the place and role of philosophy of science in relation to other philosophical disciplines and branches of learning, and of its subject and methodological specificity
- know specialist philosophical terminology in Polish
- know and understand major concepts, arguments and trends in contemporary philosophy of science
- know fundamental research methods and argumentative strategies proper to philosophy of science
- know interpretation methods appropriate for texts in the field of philosophy of science

Students:
- seek, analyze, evaluate, select, and use information from traditional and electronic sources
- read and interpret papers discussing issues belonging to philosophy of science
- understand oral presentations of philosophical ideas and arguments
- correctly use terminology characteristic of philosophy of science
- analyze philosophical arguments, identify their crucial assumptions and theses
- uncover relations between different philosophical claims and theories
- select argumentative strategies, formulate critical arguments, reply to criticism

Students:
- know the scope of their knowledge and skills, acknowledge the need for constant education and professional development
- are open to new ideas and ready to change their minds in light of available data and arguments
- organize their work effectively and critically assess their progress

Assessment criteria

In order to get a 3.0 the student must write a report on a paper selected by the lecturer. Receiving a higher mark requires writing a paper on a topic closely connected with the main themes of the lecture.

Number of absences: 4

Bibliography

„A Companion to the Philosophy of Science”, W. H. Newton-Smith (ed.), Blackwell Publishers, Malden, MA 2000.

„The Cambridge Companion to Darwin”, Hodge, J., Radick, G. (eds), Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 2009.

„The Oxford Handbook of Philosophy of Science”, P. Humphreys (ed.), Oxford University Press, Oxford 2016.

Ajdukiewicz, K., „Język i poznanie”, PWN, Warszawa 1985, t. I i II.

Carnap, R., „Wprowadzenie do filozofii nauki”, Fundacja Aletheia, Warszawa 2000.

Chakravartty, A. „A Metaphysics for Scientific Realism: Knowing the Unobservable”, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 2007.

Chalmers, A. F., „Czym jest to, co zwiemy nauką? Rozważania o naturze, statusie i metodach nauki: wprowadzenie do współczesnej filozofii nauki”, Siedmioróg, Wrocław 1997.

Childers, T., „Philosophy and Probability”, Oxford University Press, Oxford 2013.

van Fraassen, „The Scientific Image”, Clarendon Press, Oxford 1980.

Goodman, N., „Fact, Fiction, and Forecast” , Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA 1983.

Grobler, A., „Metodologia nauk”, Wydawnictwo Aureus, Wydawnictwo Znak, Kraków 2006.

Hempel, C. G., „Filozofia nauk przyrodniczych”, Fundacja Aletheia, Warszawa 2001.

- „Aspects of Scientific Explanations and other Essays in the Philosophy of Science”, The Free Press, New York 1965.

Kuhn, T.S., „Dwa bieguny: tradycja i nowatorstwo w badaniach naukowych”, PIW, Warszawa 1985.

- „Struktura rewolucji naukowych”, Fundacja Aletheia, Warszawa 2001.

- „Przewrót kopernikański”, Prószyński i S-ka, Warszawa 2006.

Lakatos, I., „Pisma z filozofii nauk empirycznych”, Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN, Warszawa 1995.

Laudan, L., „Progress and Its Problems: Towards a Theory of Scientific Growth”, University of California Press, Berkeley - Los Angeles 1978.

Losee, J., „Wprowadzenie do filozofii nauki”, Prószyński i S-ka, Warszawa 2001.

Newton-Smith, W.H., „The Rationality of Science”, Routledge, London-New York 1999.

Pietruska-Madej, E., „Metodologiczne problemy rewolucji chemicznej”, PWN, Warszawa 1975.

Popper, K., „Logika odkrycia naukowego”, PWN, Warszawa 1977.

Psillos, S., „Scientific Realism: How Science Tracks Truth”, Routledge, London & New York 1999.

Quine, W.V.O., „Granice wiedzy i inne eseje filozoficzne”, PIW, Warszawa 1986.

Rosenberg, A., „Philosophy of Science. A Contemporary Introduction” (Third Edition), Routledge, New York 2012.

Rowbottom, D. P., „Probability”, Polity Press, Cambridge 2015.

Sady, W., „Spór o racjonalność naukową. Od Poincarégo do Laudana”, Wydawnictwo Naukowe Uniwersytetu Mikołaja Kopernika, Toruń 2013.

Schindler, S., „Theoretical Virtues in Science. Uncovering Reality through Theory”, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 2018.

Sprenger, J., Hartmann, S., „Bayesian Philosophy of Science”, Oxford University Press, Oxford 2019.

Watkins, J., „Nauka a sceptycyzm”, PWN, Warszawa 1989.

Additional information

Information on level of this course, year of study and semester when the course unit is delivered, types and amount of class hours - can be found in course structure diagrams of apropriate study programmes. This course is related to the following study programmes:

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Description of 3800-FN23-M-OG in USOSweb