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Philosophy of Science

Vak
2015-2016

Description
As science pertains to knowledge, philosophy pertains to wisdom. Those who practiced science in history understood very well that science needs philosophy and the other way around. For example, the question how one should practice science is a normative and therefore philosophical question. In the conviction that students who practice science in the highest degree – you – need to acquire at least a basic set of skills in philosophy, we present you with several lectures in philosophy that relate to medicine and geriatrics. To summarize, we quickly but thoroughly work through the following subjects:

  • philosophy of science;

  • argumentation and reasoning;

  • ethics and medical ethics;

  • ‘good practices’ in medical practice;

  • justice and equality in health care;

  • perspectives on dying;

  • end-of-life care and dilemmas.

Learning objectives

  • The student has a basic understanding of what philosophy is, and what the value of philosophy is for science.

  • The student understands that one can practice philosophy in different ways (for example, by debating, thinking critically, creating thought experiments, and so on).

  • The student understands what demarcates science from pseudoscience.

  • The student knows the basics of philosophy and ethics, and can apply different viewpoints on real-life cases.

  • The student can acknowledge good arguments, and can spot fallacies.

  • The student has formed opinions on different philosophical subjects related to medicine.

  • Overall, the student has improved his/her philosophical skills, a valuable asset in the practice of science as well as the clinical practice.

Examination
The examination for this course is part of the assignment ‘scientific essay’.

Registration
info@leydenacademy.nl for places available

Contact
Leyden Academy on Vitality and Ageing
Rijnsburgerweg 10
Leiden
Tel: 071-5240960
info@leydenacademy.nl

Links
Master programme
Course details