This course is designed for SEEP students interested in the history and philosophy of science. Starting with the question “What is science?”, the first block introduces key metatheoretical concepts—ontology, epistemology, and methodology—as well as foundational debates on logic and the situatedness of knowledge, explaining their relevance to SEEP. The second block explores the history of Western philosophy of science, from ancient Greece to the 20th century, with a focus on Enlightenment philosophy. In this block, you will get to know core thinkers of philosophy of science, their respective stances on the nature of the scientific method (e.g., inudction, verification, falsification), and their solutions to the demarcation problem in philosophy of science, followed by sessions on feminist and postcolonial critiques of Western philosophy of science. The third block examines why philosophy of science matters for the social sciences, including (social-ecological) economics. It explores key topics in contemporary philosophy of social science (e.g., realism vs. idealism, positivism vs. constructivism) and contrasts mainstream economics (and its philosophical grounding in positivism, methodological individualism, and mechanisms) with heterodox economic approaches, such as social-ecological economics. In asking for a philosophical foundation for social-ecological economics, a focus lies on critical realism (in conversation with feminist philosophy of science), which offers a path between naïve objectivism and constructivism, and adds modes of inference and models for an explanatory social science. The fourth block, apart from a content wrap-up and course assessment, asks students to translate core insights into practice. A former SEEP student will present on the philosophy of science part of their master’s thesis and students are encouraged to reflect on their own pre-analytical vision, as well as to take nuanced philosophical stances in student-led debates.

·      Develop a solid understanding of the history and philosophy of science and their significance for SEEP.

·      Gain insight into how key Western philosophy of science thinkers have conceptualized reality and sought to generate knowledge about it.

·      Critically engage with the canon of philosophy of science through feminist and postcolonial critiques.

·      Understand central debates in the philosophy of science as they relate to mainstream, heterodox, and social-ecological economics.

·      Explore the foundations of knowledge claims about society, ecology, and economics, and learn to apply philosophy of science discussions to research practice.

Any absence from class should be notified to the teaching assistant in advance. In line with SEEP regulations, you must not miss more than eight hours of class (equivalent of four sessions) over the entire semester. This allowance is for serious unforeseen circumstances, such as illness. If you have some special needs that require accommodation (e.g., because of neurodiversity), register for the BeAble program as soon as possible and hand in your certificate.

·      The course consists of 18 sessions, each 2 hours long, plus two mandatory film nights with discussions.

·      It is organized into four blocks: Introduction (3 sessions); history and critique of (Western philosophy of) science (5 sessions + 1 film night); philosophy of science in (social-ecological) economics (5 sessions + 1 film night); and content wrap-up and assessment (5 sessions).

·      Each session features a short break halfway through.

·      Sessions incorporate a variety of teaching methods, including lectures, presentations, reading sessions, discussions, group works, and a student-led debate.

The overall course grade is comprised of four components, evenly divided between individual and group assessments, each accounting for 50% of the final grade. Individual assessment consists of an exam (40%) and participation (10%), group assessment of a presentation (incl. discussion group lead, 30%) and a student-led debate (20%). For more detailed information, please see additional information for participants. 

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None, just a willingness to embrace the struggle.

Instructor:

Dr. Corinna Dengler

Institute for Spatial and Social-Ecological Transformations (ISSET)

Office: D4.2.268

E-Mail: corinna.dengler@wu.ac.at

Screen Policy:

Do not use your phones during class and put other electronic devices (e.g., laptops, tablets) away at least during discussion time(s). Neurological studies (e.g., Oakley et al. 2026) suggest that relying too much on digital tools in learning environments diminishes our cognitive capacities and inhibits deep learning. Let us try to make the space as analogous as possible, for example, by having one student write a session report while others primarily take notes by hand. 

Source:

Oakley, Barbara; Jonston, Michael; Chen, Ken-Zen; Jung, Eulho; Sejnowski, Terrence (2026): Why our Brains Need Knowledge in an Age of AI. In: Max Rangeley and Lord Nicholas Fairfax (eds.): The Artificial Intelligence Revolution: Challenges and Opportunities. Cham: Springer Nature, pp. 573–628.

AI Policy:

The use of AI tools is generally discouraged in this course. If you choose to use AI, for instance to get a first overview of a topic, make sure to critically and thoroughly review and verify all AI-generated content to ensure accuracy and integrity. You are fully responsible for the content of the work you deliver, which is expected to be original. Before using AI, carefully consider its capabilities and limitations, including potential inaccuracies, biases, and ethical (e.g., ecological, social) implications. Good academic practice requires full transparency: clearly disclose any AI tools used and specify their purpose.

There is no textbook for this class. Lectures provide content, specific reading tasks are assigned for the three reading sessions (make sure to carefully prepare these readings in advance to actively participate in discussions), and supplementary (optional) reading is provided in this syllabus. All required (and many optional) readings are available on Canvas, for full books, please advise your librarian.

If you want to get an overview of philosophy of science, I can recommend the following books:

·      Chalmers, Alan (2013): What Is This Thing Called Science? Buckingham: Open University Press.

·      Okasha, Samir (2016): Philosophy of Science: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

·      Ladyman, James (2002): Understanding Philosophy of Science. London: Routledge.

Additionally, here are some useful websites:

·      The Stanford Encyclopaedia of Philosophy: https://plato.stanford.edu/

·      For some primary sources on the philosophy of science, you can check out the

·      Project Gutenberg: https://www.gutenberg.org

·      History of Science Sourcebook: https://sourcebooks.fordham.edu/science/sciencesbook.asp

A good summary for the relevance of HPoS for SEEP is Part II on “Philosophical Foundations” of

·      Spash, Clive L. (2024): Foundations of Social-Ecological Economics: The Fight for Revolutionary Change in Economic Thought. Manchester: Manchester University Press, pp. 57–112.  

Here are some more specific books on contemporary philosophy of science:

·      Cartwright, Nancy (2015): Philosophy of Social Science: A New Introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

·      Sayer, Andrew (2000): Realism and Social Science. London: SAGE.

·      Danermark, Berth; Ekstrom, Mats; Jakobsen, Liselotte; Karlsson, Jan (2002): Explaining Society: Critical Realism in the Social Sciences. London: Routledge.

·      Kukla, Andre (2000): Social Constructivism and the Philosophy of Science. London: Routledge.

·      Bueter, Anke (2024): Feminist Philosophy of Science. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.