Introduction to Philosophy of Science

Introduction to Philosophy of Science

When scientists come up with a theory, what are they doing? How do they come up with that? Are they really that smart or is it just a big show from people from Cambridge and Harvard, etc.? Can we trust science? Philosophy has been around since the birth of science. Who could tackle some of the pressing issues surrounding science and technology? -An educated academic philosopher could!  Join me on his journey through science.

Now more than ever we might question science, its methods, etcetera. What is technology? If there is such a thing as the "scientific method" what is it? Didn't they say there were negative results of science and technology? How do scientists choose between two or more competing theories to fit the data? Does this stuff have to run our lives?

I answer all of these questions. Not only do I dispel some myths, I encourage students to become actively interested in science, to become involved, and to read up on it. We study the likes of Aristotle, Einstein, Sir Francis Bacon, Newton, and the newest developments of Quantum Mechanics. I also have a running re-fresher on logic and the history of philosophy that reappears in every module to keep your skills sharp. This course is excellent for ambitious students who want to get Bachelor's-level information in order to supplement already existing knowledge, or those preparing for a master's level course.

We all know science is important in our lives. But have you ever asked why?

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What you will learn

• Students will be familiar about what constitutes a theory, and what separates science from psuedoscience.
• Students will be able to answer rudimentary questions about realism, instrumental realism, structural empiricism and other related theories.
• Students will be able to to answer questions about underdetermination, scepticism and empirical equivalence.

Rating: 4.25

Level: Intermediate Level

Duration: 5.5 hours

Instructor: Kent Olson