Syllabus
Registration via LPIS
Day | Date | Time | Room |
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Tuesday | 03/10/20 | 10:30 AM - 01:00 PM | TC.0.03 WIENER STÄDTISCHE |
Tuesday | 03/17/20 | 10:30 AM - 01:00 PM | TC.0.03 WIENER STÄDTISCHE |
Tuesday | 03/24/20 | 10:30 AM - 01:00 PM | TC.0.03 WIENER STÄDTISCHE |
Tuesday | 03/31/20 | 10:30 AM - 01:00 PM | TC.0.03 WIENER STÄDTISCHE |
Tuesday | 04/21/20 | 10:30 AM - 01:00 PM | TC.0.03 WIENER STÄDTISCHE |
Tuesday | 05/05/20 | 10:00 AM - 12:30 PM | Online-Einheit |
Tuesday | 05/12/20 | 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM | Online-Einheit |
Tuesday | 05/19/20 | 10:00 AM - 12:30 PM | Online-Einheit |
Tuesday | 05/26/20 | 10:00 AM - 12:30 PM | Online-Einheit |
Tuesday | 06/02/20 | 10:00 AM - 12:30 PM | Online-Einheit |
This is an introductory course into the philosophy of science. It deals with questions concerning the nature of scientific inquiries, the potential differences between natural and social sciences, the differences between reasoning based on empirical data and deductive reasoning, as well as it is concerned with the presuppositions of all empirical inquiries. These questions will be pursued in the light of the epistemology of science, i.e. by presenting (1) various views of how scientific knowledge is possible, (2) the most common answers to the question which methods have to be applied in which disciplines and (3) how the adequacy of particulars methods suggested can be accounted for: beginning from Bacon and Newton, via Hume, Mill and Kant to the most prominent approaches in the theory of knowledge and philosophy of science in the 20th century: Logical Empiricism (‚Vienna Circle’), Critical Rationalism (Popper) and Critical Theory (Horkheimer, Adorno).
The course is divided into two parts: (1) a lecture on the history of the theory of knowledge and the philosophy of science (“1. Scientific reasoning in antiquity”, “2. Scientific revolutions and the search for a method in the empirical sciences”, “3. Philosophy and science or the question of the presuppositions of all empirical observation”, “4. 19th centuries debates about methods – and the development of a “new”, mathematical logic”, “5. Theories of confirmation in the 20th century and the question of the reducibility of all sciences to the natural sciences”, “6. The debate about the special ontological status of the social sciences” -- 50 % of the course) that will provide the background for part (2) that is devoted to the assessment of the validity of arguments (“Logic-Trainer”: 25 % of the 2nd part of the course) and the discussion and application of methods of scientific reasoning on the basis of examples from the social sciences (25 % of the 2nd part of the course).
The lecture part will begin on the 10th of March and will end with the 21st of May (an audio version of all the five lectures will be made available on Learn@WU). The final exam is on the 24th of June 2020.
Learning outcomes in general:
(i) to develop an appreciation for the scientific enterprise as such, to become familiar with the history of methodological thinking, (ii) to develop the deductive and analytical skills needed in scientific reasoning to enhance the ability to approach questions in the empirical sciences by raising questions about the adequate methods, (iii) to gain knowledge of the debates about the potential difference between natural and social sciences
The learning outcomes in particular of part (2) are:
(i) to gain knowledge of the structure of an argument, (ii) to construe premisses and valid conclusions in deductive syllogistic arguments, (iii) to be able to dentify the specific character of deductive arguments, (iv) to understand the limitations concerning the possibility of justifying the results of empirical inquiries (v) to apply various methods of empirical reasoning in the light of these limitations, (vi) to understand the difference in the ontological status of the social sciences, (vi) to become familiar with various views about the goal of the social sciences.
This is a course that is divided in a lecture (50%) and a “Uebung”, i.e. a part in which we will repeat, discuss, and seek to apply what has been presented in the lecture.
For the lecture-part of this course NO attendance is required (the lecture will be recorded and made available on Learn-WU).
The “Uebungs”-part (50% of the whole course) requires 100% attendance.
Lecture, “Logic-trainer”, Online-script, reading of papers in class, + application (attempts) of acquired knowledge, ++ discussion of most recent scientific questions and/or problems;
to avoid any further redundancy see class structure above;
Requirements and Assessment:
1. final exam: MPC (multiple-choice-test) and some open questions for the 1st part (ca. 20 questions, 50 % of the grade) of this course at the end of the term (in the last week of June). There will be a second date (presumably in early September).
2. MPC exam with the material from our “Logic Trainer” (part A of the 2nd part of this course: 25% of the grade) during the term (in May).
30 questions: 0 - 9 questions: 5, 10 - 14 questions: 4; 15 - 20 questions 3, 21 - 26: 2; 27 - 30: 1
3. Class contribution (30%), questions to selected passages of the texts we read (20%), a short presentation of selected topics (50%) (part B of the 2nd part of this course: 25% of the total grade)
Every assessment part of this course has to be positive.
Knowledge in philosophy is welcome but not required.
Per email (gabriele.mras@wu.ac.at), phone, and in my office hours on Thursday, 12.00 - 13.00.
My phone number is: 31336-4257
Unit | Date | Contents |
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1 | 10.03.2020 | 1. “Scientific Reasoning in Antiquity: Aristotle‘s Logic, the Stoa, and the School of Baghdad“ (Lecture) Readings:
Logic-trainer:
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2 | 17.03.2020 | 2. „The Middle Ages and the ‚Scientific Revolution‘ — Scholasticism and the search for a method in the empirical sciences“ (Lecture) Readings:
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3 | 24.03.2020 | 3. Philosophy and science or the question of the presuppositions of all empirical observation (Lecture) Readings:
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4 | 31.03.2020 | 4. „19th centuries debates about method and the classification of the sciences — the idea of ‚social sciences’ and development of the a ‚new‘ mathematical logic“ (Lecture) Readings:
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5 | Last lecture: 21.04.2020 | 5. „Theories of confirmation in the 20th century and the question of the reducibility of all sciences to the natural sciences“ (Lecture) Readings:
6. The debate about the special ontological status of the social sciences Readings:
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6 | 05.05.2020 | Übung (Gabriele M. Mras) |
7 | 12.05.2020 | Übung (Gabriele M. Mras) MPC (multiple-choice-test) |
8 | 19.05.2020 | Übung (Stefan Riegelnik) Different approaches concerning the question of the distinction between the natural and social sciences Readings:
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9 | 26.05.2020 | Übung (Stefan Riegelnik)
Readings:
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10 | 02.06.2020 | Übung (Stefan Riegelnik) World Café
Readings:
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