PHI-20020 - Module Specification
School of Social Sciences
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

Programme/Approved Electives for 2024/25

Available as a Free Standing Elective

Co-requisites

None

Prerequisites

N/A

Barred Combinations

N/A

Description for 2024/25

This module introduces you to some general topics in the philosophy of science. What is science and can we distinguish science from other forms of enquiry? What are scientific theories about? Do scientists discover what there is in the world, or are scientific theories tools with which we predict and explain? Is there a scientific method, and what does it involve? How are scientific theories, models or hypotheses confirmed or rejected? What is the relationship between evidence and theory? Does science make progress? And if so, how does it progress? Is scientific enquiry free from social, political, and cultural influences?
Topics which will be discussed include the nature of scientific explanation, the relationship between the sciences, probability, causation, laws of nature (and whether there are any), and the major philosophical movements in the philosophy of science of the last 150 years. There will also be the chance to explore how philosophical concepts and analysis can be applied (and perhaps mis-applied) to on-going and historical examples of scientific research, with examples drawn from physics (quantum theory and cosmology), chemistry, biology, and even geology.
This module will not presuppose any prior philosophical or scientific knowledge.

The module aims to introduce students to the main concepts, questions and debates in the area and to enable them to develop their own views on a range of key issues in the philosophy of science

Intended Learning Outcomes

make use accurately of the terminology specific to philosophy of science: 1,2
present clearly and analyse important positions in the philosophy of science: 1,2
evaluate and present their own views of key arguments and positions in the area; be able to give examples from the history of science to illustrate philosophical questions: 1,2
select particular aspects of a fundamental problem and research a range of answers with a view to assessing them in a concise essay; understand the main traditions in contemporary philosophy of science, and their historical development
: 1,2
present clearly and concisely in writing the material introduced and discussed in the course and reflect independently and in an informed way on the positions discussed: 2
independently engage with scientific research, at least on a non-technical level, in order to recognise the occurrence of and to appreciate the relevance of some of the philosophical problems discussed in the course: 2
explain how philosophical allegiance to a wider philosophical movement (e.g. logical empiricism) influences and constrains the range of answers which can be given on narrower philosophical points (e.g. the nature of scientific explanation): 1,2
understand and explain how the social, cultural and political environment may affect the progress of science, and to give examples of these influences: 2
demonstrate knowledge of some important issues, positions and arguments in the philosophy of science; explain and evaluate accounts of the relationship between evidence and theory: 1,2

Study hours

This is a one-semester module taught on the basis of:
- 10 1-hour weekly lectures
- 10 1-hour weekly seminars
Breakdown of study hours:
Lectures: 10 hours
Seminars: 10 hours
Seminar preparation: 32
Preparation for video: 48
Preparation for exam: 50

School Rules

None

Description of Module Assessment