Philosophy of Science

Catalog description

This course examines core philosophical questions about science, scientific reasoning and scientific practice. What is scientific method, and what role do deduction, induction and abduction play in it? How does scientific method differ from one science to another? What role do mathematics, mathematical models and computation play in the various sciences? How does reductionism (the claim that parts determine the whole according to specified laws) help science develop but also limits it? Why must philosophical reflection on science also encompass the history of science? If we pay close attention to the role of science in culture, we find that it has ethical as well as epistemological aspects, as it interacts with religion and politics.