PH458      Half Unit
Evidence and Policy

This information is for the 2025/26 session.

Course Convenor

Dr Liam Kofi Bright

Availability

This course is available on the MSc in Philosophy and Public Policy, MSc in Philosophy of Economics and the Social Sciences and MSc in Philosophy of Science. This course is available with permission as an outside option to students on other programmes where regulations permit.

Course content

The course will explore how scientific reasoning does and should inform policy making in a democracy. In the first part of the course we will examine how it is that ethical or political preferences come to influence scientific reasoning in light of its democratic role. In the second part of the course we will explore the sort of evidence policy makers might be especially interested in acquiring and the difficultives involved in producing such.

Teaching

15 hours of seminars and 10 hours of lectures in the Autumn Term.

Formative assessment

Students will be expected to produce 1 essay in the AT.

Indicative reading

Christensen, D. (2014). “Disagreement and Public Controversy” in Lackey, J. (ed.) Essays in Collective Epistemology. Oxford University Press.
Douglas, H. (2009). Science, Policy, and the Value Free Ideal. University of Pittsburgh Press.
Hardwig, J. (1985). Epistemic Dependence. The Journal of Philosophy.
Schenwar, M. & Law, V. (2021). Prison by Any Other Name: The Harmful Consequences of Popular Reforms. New Press.
Thoma, J. (2022). Weighing the Costs and Benefits of Public Policy: On the Dangers of Single Metric Accounting. LSE Public Policy Review.

Assessment

Essay (100%, 2000 words)

Part of the assessment of the final essay will be discussing how they have responded to feedback on the formative.


Key facts

Department: Philosophy, Logic and Scientific Method

Course Study Period: Autumn Term

Unit value: Half unit

FHEQ Level: Level 7

CEFR Level: Null

Total students 2024/25: 40

Average class size 2024/25: 13

Controlled access 2024/25: No
Guidelines for interpreting course guide information

Course selection videos

Some departments have produced short videos to introduce their courses. Please refer to the course selection videos index page for further information.

Personal development skills

  • Leadership
  • Self-management
  • Team working
  • Problem solving
  • Application of information skills
  • Communication
  • Application of numeracy skills
  • Specialist skills