The Philosophy of Science.

Catalog description

What is nature? Where does nature begin and end? Is anything not a part of nature? Is science the final arbiter of what is true and real regarding nature? What is cause and effect? What is scientific explanation? Does scientific theory mirror natural structures? Is mathematics a universal language? Is mathematics an indispensable part of scientific practice? How do the abstract languages of mathematics relate to the physical world? What is to be done when scientific knowledge runs counter to our beliefs about daily life and the world around us? These are the questions that will be the focus of this class. The overall aims being to investigate the relationship between humanity and nature, and to inquire into the assumptions behind our scientific understandings of the natural world. Prerequisites: ENG 101 (or corequisite).