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180072 SE Introduction to Scientific Rationality (2017W)
Continuous assessment of course work
Labels
Registration/Deregistration
Note: The time of your registration within the registration period has no effect on the allocation of places (no first come, first served).
- Registration is open from Fr 08.09.2017 12:00 to Fr 22.09.2017 12:00
- Deregistration possible until Tu 31.10.2017 12:00
Details
max. 25 participants
Language: English
Lecturers
Classes (iCal) - next class is marked with N
- Friday 03.11. 09:30 - 12:15 Hörsaal 3C, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. II/3. Stock, 1010 Wien
- Saturday 04.11. 09:30 - 12:15 Hörsaal 3C, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. II/3. Stock, 1010 Wien
- Friday 24.11. 09:30 - 12:15 Hörsaal 3C, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. II/3. Stock, 1010 Wien
- Saturday 25.11. 09:30 - 12:15 Hörsaal 3C, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. II/3. Stock, 1010 Wien
- Friday 15.12. 09:30 - 12:15 Hörsaal 3C, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. II/3. Stock, 1010 Wien
- Saturday 16.12. 09:30 - 12:15 Hörsaal 3C, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. II/3. Stock, 1010 Wien
- Friday 19.01. 09:30 - 12:15 Hörsaal 3C, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. II/3. Stock, 1010 Wien
- Saturday 20.01. 09:30 - 12:15 Hörsaal 3C, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. II/3. Stock, 1010 Wien
Information
Aims, contents and method of the course
Assessment and permitted materials
- Interactive written assignments in between the blocks;
- Short essay at the end of the course or giving a presentation during the course.
- Short essay at the end of the course or giving a presentation during the course.
Minimum requirements and assessment criteria
Examination topics
The topics and papers discussed during the course.
Reading list
The reading list will be provided during the course. Some of the relevant references:
Douglas, Heather E. (2009). Science, Policy, and the Value-Free Ideal. University of Pittsburgh Press.
Elliott, Kevin C. and Daniel J. McKaughan (2009). “How Values in Scientific Discovery and Pursuit Alter Theory Appraisal”. In: Philosophy of Science 76, pp. 598–611.
Elliott, Kevin C and Daniel Steel, eds. (2017). Current Controversies in Values and Science. Routledge.
Hoyningen-Huene, Paul (2006). “Context of Discovery versus Context of Justification and Thomas Kuhn”. In: Revisiting Discovery and Justification: Historical and philosophical perspectives on the context distinction. Ed. by Jutta Schickore and Friedrich Steinle. Netherlands: Springer, pp. 119–131.
Laudan, Larry (1977). Progress and its Problems: Towards a Theory of Scientific Growth. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul Ltd.
— (1984). Science and Values. University of California Press.
Nickles, Thomas (1980). “Introductory Essay: Scientific discovery and the future of philosophy of science”. In: Scientific Discovery: Case Studies. Ed. by Thomas Nickles. Dordrecht: D. Reidel Publishing Company., pp. 1–59.
Rescher, Nicholas (1988). Rationality: A philosophical inquiry into the nature and the rationale of reason. Oxford University Press.
Šešelja, Dunja, Laszlo Kosolosky, and Christian Straßer (2012). “Rationality of Scientific Reasoning in the Context of Pursuit: drawing appropriate distinctions”. In: Philosophica 86, pp. 51–82.
Whitt, Laurie Anne (1990). “Theory Pursuit: Between Discovery and Acceptance”. In: PSA: Proceedings of the Biennial Meeting of the Philosophy of Science Association. Vol. 1, pp. 467–483.
— (1992). “Indices of Theory Promise”. In: Philosophy of Science 59, pp. 612–634.
Douglas, Heather E. (2009). Science, Policy, and the Value-Free Ideal. University of Pittsburgh Press.
Elliott, Kevin C. and Daniel J. McKaughan (2009). “How Values in Scientific Discovery and Pursuit Alter Theory Appraisal”. In: Philosophy of Science 76, pp. 598–611.
Elliott, Kevin C and Daniel Steel, eds. (2017). Current Controversies in Values and Science. Routledge.
Hoyningen-Huene, Paul (2006). “Context of Discovery versus Context of Justification and Thomas Kuhn”. In: Revisiting Discovery and Justification: Historical and philosophical perspectives on the context distinction. Ed. by Jutta Schickore and Friedrich Steinle. Netherlands: Springer, pp. 119–131.
Laudan, Larry (1977). Progress and its Problems: Towards a Theory of Scientific Growth. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul Ltd.
— (1984). Science and Values. University of California Press.
Nickles, Thomas (1980). “Introductory Essay: Scientific discovery and the future of philosophy of science”. In: Scientific Discovery: Case Studies. Ed. by Thomas Nickles. Dordrecht: D. Reidel Publishing Company., pp. 1–59.
Rescher, Nicholas (1988). Rationality: A philosophical inquiry into the nature and the rationale of reason. Oxford University Press.
Šešelja, Dunja, Laszlo Kosolosky, and Christian Straßer (2012). “Rationality of Scientific Reasoning in the Context of Pursuit: drawing appropriate distinctions”. In: Philosophica 86, pp. 51–82.
Whitt, Laurie Anne (1990). “Theory Pursuit: Between Discovery and Acceptance”. In: PSA: Proceedings of the Biennial Meeting of the Philosophy of Science Association. Vol. 1, pp. 467–483.
— (1992). “Indices of Theory Promise”. In: Philosophy of Science 59, pp. 612–634.
Association in the course directory
Last modified: Mo 07.09.2020 15:36
When we say that scientists are justified in accepting or rejecting some theory, or when we say that they have conducted their inquiry with sufficient methodological rigor, we base such assessments on a certain notion of scientific rationality. But what does it mean to be scientifically rational?
This course will introduce students to important aspects of scientific rationality. In this way they will get equipped with a conceptual toolbox for analyzing philosophical questions and problems underlying scientific rationality, including the distinction between the context of discovery and the context of justification, the problem of theory choice, the notion of scientific objectivity, the role of values in scientific inquiry, etc. These and related issues will be discussed in view of concrete historical and contemporary case studies (e.g. from the history of earth sciences and medicine).
The course will proceed in block classes, during which we will discuss relevant articles (the reading list for each block will be announced in advance).