PHIL 240 - Philosophy of Science

Credit(s): 3
Lecture: 3
Non-Lecture: 0
This course will examine the nature of science. What makes the difference between scientific theories and nonscientific ones? Is there a special kind of reasoning for science, or just a special subject matter? Does science have a greater claim to knowledge? What are the limits of science? Can religion and morality be turned into sciences, or is there a fundamental gap of some sort between these different realms? We will consider these questions both naively and in terms of a set of philosophical theories of science that have been developed over the past century. We will also examine a variety of long-standing conceptual problems in particular sciences, including mathematics. Finally, we will look at the important consequences of science in today’s society, in particular the pressing issue of “junk science.” Not offered on a regular basis.