Study of the different perspectives about Science itself. General characterization of scientific activity.



This subject introduces a reflection on the concept of science and the basic themes of its methodology; characterizes the philosophy of science and its more relevant issues, starting from the main views of the last century, and explores the basic subjects of the philosophy of science.

This subject belongs to the part (considered) Mandatory and the section (or module) Philosophy of Science. Its contribution is necessary to obtain the capacities or skills related to the section (or module) and all of them are cross-curricular.

The course coordinator will look after the horizontal coordination of this subject while the vertical coordination will correspond to the grade coordinator.



Competences:

- To actively understand and critically interpret texts by well-known authors in the philosophy of science, always within their theoretical and conceptual frames and, at least, in two official languages of the E.U.

- To orally present, debate, critically assess and write with arguments well-structured discourses regarding the diverse traditional and contemporary problems, points of view and concepts about science, using to that purpose the specialized terminology of the philosophy and methodology of science.

- To identify and assess through diverse procedures the validity or plausibility of arguments around traditional and current debates in the field of philosophy and methodology of science, emphasizing the importance of logic in the analysis of scientific discourse.

- To engage in team work in order to advance in the comprehension of the social, ethical, economical and cultural consequences of the development of modern science and the philosophical consideration upon it.

- To use the technologies of information in order to collect and interchange data and to access bibliographic sources for the study of currently debated perspectives in the field of philosophy and methodology of science.

1. What is Science? Introduction to the Methodology of Science. Laws, hypotheses and theories; scientific concepts; deductive and inductive arguments; scientific explanation.

2.- Characterization of Philosophy of Science. Brief Introduction to the main views of XXth and XXIth centuries.

3. Synchronic perspectives of Science. Logical Positivism and Logical Empiricism; Structuralism.

4. Diachronic perspectives of Science. Importance of History of Science for the Philosophy of Science.

5. Social conceptions of Science. Sociology of Science, Cultural Studies of Science, STS studies; feminist Philosophy of Science; relativism and “Science Wars”.

6. Key issues of Philosophy of Science. The problem of verifiability; Popper and falsability (demarcation); Kuhn: Normal Science and scientific revolutions, Inconmensurabuility, (Kuhn y Feyerabend); Scientific Research programs (Lakatos); rationalty and progress (Laudan).



* At the beginning of the term, the lectures will specify, within this official syllabus, those aspects or parts considered appropriate.

• Final Assessment System
• Tools and qualification percentages:
  • Written test to be taken (%): 60
  • Team projects (problem solving, project design)) (%): 40

With the followign proportions that the lectures will specify at the beginning of the term:

- Exam: between 40 and 60 % of the final evaluation;

- Individual essays: between 40 and 60 % of the final evaluation;

- Class assistance and participation will be taken into account for the final assessment.

Exam

Echeverria, J. (1999) Introducción a la metodología de la ciencia, Madrid: Cátedra.

Basic bibliography

Dieguez, A. (2005) Filosofía de la ciencia, Madrid: Biblioteca Nueva/Universidad de Málaga.

Díez Calzada, J.A., Moulines, C.U., (1997) Fundamentos de Filosofía de la Ciencia, Barcelona: Ariel.

Godfrey-Smith, P. (2003): Theory and Reality. An introduction to the philosophy of Science. Chicago: The Chicago University Press.

Olivé, L. y Pérez Ransanz, A. R. Eds. (1989) Filosofía de la ciencia: teoría y observación, México: Siglo XXI.

In-depth bibliography

Balashov, Y & Rosenberg, A. Eds. (2002) Philosophy of Science. Contemporary Readings. New York: Routledge.
Curd, M. & Cover, J. A. Eds. (1998) Philosophy of Science. The central issues. WW. Norton.
Lange, M. (2007) Philosophy of Science. An anthology. Oxford: Blackwell.
Okasha, S. (2002): Philosophy of Science. A very short introduction. Oxford University Press.
Rosenberg, A. (2000) Philosophy of Science. A contemporary introduction. New York: Routledge.

Journals

Erkenntnis; Philosophy of Science; Synthese; Theoria; Teorema.

Web addresses

European Philosophy of Science Association. www.epsa.ac.at
Philosophy of Science Association. philsci.org
Philsci Archive. philsci-archive.pitt.edu
Sociedad de Lógica, Metodología y Filosofía de la ciencia. www.solofici.org
Stanford Enciclopedia of Philosophy. plato.stanford.edu