Progress in Science

Catalog description

Science is a social enterprise, although one traditionally thought to be grounded in facts and reason. Scientists collaborate with each other, undermine one another, and compete for funding of research. Whether a scientific idea ever sees the light of day may depend on these distinctly social factors. So how much of what we call "scientific progress" is the result of social negotiation, and how much is rational deliberation? That is the big question this course investigates - the question of the competing roles of rationality and rhetoric in the development of science. Do theoretical pictures change on account of reasoned argument, or rhetorical persuasion? The course examines this question through the lens of several important scientific revolutions, particularly the quantum one. The starting point will be Thomas Kuhn’s influential account of scientific progress. Does his picture really fit the historical facts? Several competing models of scientific progress will also be discussed. Along the way, students will consider why many scientific revolutions occurred in Europe and not elsewhere. Are some cultural and social features more hospitable than others to scientific inquiry?