Dr Miklos Redei

The course is primarily intended for MSc Philosophy of Science, MSc Philosophy of the Social Sciences, MSc Economics and Philosophy, MSc Philosophy and Public Policy, MSc Social Research Methods and MSc Biomedicine, Bioscience and Society. The associated seminar is also available to research students.

Philosophy, science and two grand traditions in philosophy of science (weeks 1-2): the history of the philosophy of science and the two major traditions. Theory and observation (weeks 3-5): Hume's problem of induction and Popper's falsificationism, Lakatos' Methodology of Scientific Research Programmes, underdetermination of theory by evidence, the positive instance account. Bayesian confirmation theory (weeks 6-8): probability theory and the interpretation of probability, Bayesianism. Explanation (weeks 9-10-): the Deductive-Nomological model of explanation, statistical explanation. Reductionism (week 11): reductionism and pluralism. Theories and laws (weeks 12-13): the regularity and necessitarian views of natural laws, the best systems-account, instrumentalism. Realism versus antirealism (weeks 14-15): scientific realism and the no miracles argument, inference to the best explanation, antirealism and the pessimistic meta-induction, constructive empiricism, entity realism, structural realism. Kuhn's philosophy of science (weeks 16-17): normal science and paradigms, scientific revolutions and incommensurability. Sociological approaches to science (weeks 18-20): social constructivism, strong programme, feminist epistemology.

Lectures PH201 x 20 (MT, LT). Seminars PH400 20 x one-and-a-half hours (MT, LT). Students on this course may also benefit from attendance at PH551.

Students will be expected to write two 2,000 word essays per term on topics covered by the course.

T S Kuhn, The Structure of Scientific Revolutions; K R Popper, Conjectures and Refutations; B van Fraassen, The Scientific Image; N Cartwright, How the Laws of Physics Lie.

A detailed reading list forms part of the course booklet that will be available at the beginning of the year.

A three-hour written examination in the ST.