Intro to Scientific Thought

Catalog description

This course is designed for students who have a background in neither science nor philosophy. In this course, students will examine and write about a diverse array of historical and contemporary scientific philosophies, including but not limited to the history of science, scientific revolutions, scientific skepticism, experimental design, famous scientists, scientific controversies, and scientific ethics, for example, which have implications for knowledge, ethics, critical thinking, and the role of science in society. Students will generate argumentative theses and refine essay-length, sustained, complex arguments involving the philosophy of science. Topics to be explored include principles of deduction and induction, logical fallacies in language and thought, fact versus judgment, science and superstition, and how to overcome cognitive biases in scientific thought and writing. This course is designed to enhance the student's critical thinking, writing, and research skills in preparation for upper division academic activity. (CSU/UC) (AA/AS-5, CSU-A3,B1, IGETC-5A, Cal-GETC-5A)