By the end of the term, students who have taken this course should be able to produce nuanced, reasoned arguments on the characteristics of scientific knowledge and on the method used to develop this knowledge.
The aim of this course is to introduce students to some of the major issues in the philosophy of science and to enrich their general scientific culture through the study of several concrete cases of theories or laws. More generally, the aim is to sharpen students' critical faculties with regard to the natural sciences.
The course introduces students to some of the major questions that structure the field of philosophy of science. More specifically, it addresses the question of the demarcation between science and non-science (or pseudo-science), the scientific method (and associated reasoning), scientific change and pluralism in science. Overall, the course leads students to reflect on the nature of scientific knowledge, and the way in which this knowledge is constructed. Several concrete cases of laws or theories from different empirical sciences (physics, biology, etc.) are studied during the sessions.
The bibliography is available on Webcampus (articles or chapters to download).
The assessment will be a written exam, in which candidates will be asked reflective questions.
| Training | Study programme | Block | Credits | Mandatory |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor in Philosophy | Standard | 0 | 3 | |
| Bachelor in Philosophy | Standard | 1 | 3 |