Science is not only one of the most amazing, but also one of the most puzzling human practices. In this course, we will raise two rather broad questions: How does science work? And what makes scientific knowledge special? Even though we will probably fail to give conclusive answers to both questions, adressing them will increase our understanding of the nature of science and its role in society.
Learning objective
The course provides an introductory overview over different positions in the general philosophy of science including late 19th century inductivism, logical empiricism, critical rationalism, integrated history and philosophy of science, social theories of scientific knowledge, and systematicity theory. By looking at different conceptualizations of science at different periods in history, students will be enabled to evaluate the epistemic status of scientific knowledge compared to other forms of knowledge, as well as to critically reflect the role that science plays as an institution in modern societies.
