Admission requirements
Admission to this course is restricted to:
- Second-year students enrolled in the BA Philosophy: Global and Comparative Perspectives
- Pre-master’s students in Philosophy who are in possession of an admission statement, and for whom this course is part of their programme.
Description
This course gives an introduction to the most important subjects of contemporary philosophy of science: scientific explanation, laws of nature, causation, the aim and structure of scientific theories, realism and anti-realism, induction and confirmation, relativism and the objectivity of science. Through primary texts the students become acquainted with important figurs in 20th century philosophy of science such as Hempel, Popper, Kuhn, Quine, Feyerabend and Laudan.
Course objectives
This course aims to introduce students to the central ideas and theories of contemporary philosophy of science, and to train them in the reading and discussing of philosophical papers in this area.
Students who successfully complete the course will have a good understanding of:
the central ideas of contemporary philosophy of science: scientific explanation, laws of nature, causation, the aim and structure of scientific theories, realism and anti-realism, induction and confirmation, relativism and the objectivity of science;
the ideas of 20th century philosophers in the field of philosophy of science, such as Hempel, Popper, Kuhn, Quine, Feyerabend and Laudan.
Students who successfully complete the course will be able to:
reproduce the most important theories and ideas from contemporary philosophy of science;
take up a position concerning these ideas and defend that position;
read a philosophical paper by themselves and take up a position regarding it.
Timetable
Visit MyTimetable.
Mode of instruction
Lectures (2 hours per week)
Tutorials (2 hours per week)
Class attendance is required for both lectures and tutorials.
Assessment method
Assessment
Midterm online exam (30%)
Final online exam (50%)
Participation in tutorials (20%)
Weighting
The final mark for the course is established by determination of the weighted average of several subtests (see above).
Resit
The resit covers the following exam components: midterm online exam and final online exam. The resit consits of a online exam covering the entire course content and the mark for the resit replaces all previously earned marks for the two written exams (80%).
The grade for participation in tutorials (20%) remains in place.
Inspection and feedback
How and when an exam review will take place will be disclosed together with the publication of the exam results at the latest. If a student requests a review within 30 days after publication of the exam results, an exam review will have to be organized.
Reading list
To be announced on Brightspace.
Registration
Enrolment through uSis is mandatory.
General information about uSis is available on the website
Students are strongly advised to register in uSis through the activity number which can be found in the timetables for courses and exams
Registration Studeren à la carte and Contractonderwijs
Not applicable.
Contact
Remarks
Not applicable.