Course code

HIF6105.HT

old course code

HIF6105

Course title in Estonian

Sissejuhatus teadusfilosoofiasse

Course title in English

Introduction to the Philosophy of Science

ECTS credits

5.0

Assessment form

Examination

lecturer of 2024/2025 Autumn semester

Not opened for teaching. Click the study programme link below to see the nominal division schedule.

lecturer of 2024/2025 Spring semester

Not opened for teaching. Click the study programme link below to see the nominal division schedule.

Course aims

To provide opportunities and guidance for students to develop knowledge and understanding of the basic issues within Philosophy of Science. Such understanding should include insight into the principal positions upon: the nature of theories, laws and scientific explanation, problems of scientific confirmation, problems with science and scientific change, and sociological perspectives on science.
To create the preconditions and guide development of the skills necessary to properly engage with, evaluate and synthesize the material covered within the course. Skills developed for this purpose should also be transferable to further material and other fields.
To provide opportunities to develop and demonstrate the skills necessary to transmit knowledge and understanding synthesized, both in regards to material covered in this course and in a transferrable sense, through various approaches: i.e. in written word, oral communication etc.

Brief description of the course

In this course we examine the attempts of philosophers to address the fundamental aspects of science that science itself is ill-equipped to deal with. Can we make sense of the nature of theories, laws, and scientific explanation? Is there a way to explain the special relationship to empirical evidence that we often take science to have? Does science really describe the world? We also take a brief look at more critical sociological perspectives on science – is science at heart a social phenomena? How influenced by factors such as gender and race is the supposedly objective nature of science?

Learning outcomes in the course

Upon completing the course the student:
- has got the capacity for critical evaluation of the philosophical, historical and theoretical value, relevance and strengths of the various positions examined during the course;
- has got a firm grasp of the scope of PoS, the basic philosophical problems that face science, the relationship between philosophy and science in solving these, and an informed perspective upon the value and tenability of both.

Teacher

Andres Luure

Study programmes containing that course

Liberal Arts in Humanities (KKLHB/15.HT)
Philosophy (HIFIB/15.HT)
Philosophy (HIFIB/14.HT)
Theory of Culture (HIKTB/14.HT)
Liberal Arts in Humanities (KKLHB/14.HT)
Theory of Culture (HIKTB/13.HT)
Liberal Arts in Humanities (KKLHB/13.HT)
Philosophy (HIFIB/13.HT)
Liberal Arts in Humanities (KKLHB/12_1.HT)
Liberal Arts in Humanities (KKLHB/12.HT)
Philosophy (HIFIB/12.HT)
Theory of Culture (HIKTB/12.HT)
Philosophy (HIFIB/11.HT)
Liberal Arts in Humanities (KKLHB/11.HT)
Theory of Culture (HIKTB/11.HT)
Philosophy (HIFIB/10.HT)
Theory of Culture (HIKTB/10.HT)
Theory of Culture (HIKTB/09.HT)