Knowledge and History: Theories of Scientific Change
| Module title | Knowledge and History: Theories of Scientific Change |
|---|---|
| Module code | PHL2100 |
| Academic year | 2019/0 |
| Credits | 15 |
| Module staff | (Convenor) |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 11 |
| Number students taking module (anticipated) | 30 |
|---|
Module description
Epistemology is the philosophical theory of what knowledge is and how it is acquired. This module will introduce you to some major trends of twentieth-century epistemology. Rapid progress in the sciences has confronted epistemology with a fundamental problem: How can it accommodate its traditional task of describing conditions for acquiring 'true' knowledge while the sciences continually progress? The module will acquaint you with some prominent answers to this problem (positivism, sociology of knowledge, historical epistemology). It will present a perspective on epistemology that overcomes the existing divides between analytical and continental philosophy. You will require basic skills in the formal analysis of arguments as learned at a previous level to succeed in this module. It will build on knowledge from PHL1005A ‘Evidence and Argument’ the pre-requisite to this module. The module is suitable for philosophy students with an interest in the philosophy of science, but will also appeal to students from other disciplines with an interest in the social and cultural history of science.
Module aims - intentions of the module
- To develop a critical, nuanced, and self-confident understanding of key concepts, theories and schools within twentieth-century epistemology.
- To raise critical awareness of the contested status of knowledge claims, including scientific ones, and of the importance of cultural, socio-economic and political factors that shape knowledge.
- To interrogate difficult philosophical books for nuances and layers of meaning, styles and strategies of reasoning, as well as tensions and contradictions.
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. demonstrate a foundational knowledge of the main positions in twentieth-century epistemology with regard to the problem of induction, the nature of experiment, and the notion of scientific progress;
- 2. evaluate these positions and to understand and analyse the arguments that have been raised for and against them;
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 3. interpret, and discuss difficult philosophical texts;
- 4. philosophical style and develop an awareness of the dynamics of scientific knowledge production; and develop an awareness of the dynamics of scientific knowledge production.
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 5. construct, express, present and discuss ideas and arguments, both of your own and of others, according to academic standards; and
- 6. demonstrate the ability to analyse received wisdom as well as the ability to avoid rash conclusions.
Syllabus plan
Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover some or all of the following topics:
Introduction: Scientific Progress and Truth
The Scientific Revolution I: Galileo
The Scientific Revolution II: Hobbes vs. Boyle
Logical Atomism, Verificationism, and Falsificationism
Methodology of Scientific Research Programs
The Structure of Scientific Revolutions
Sociology of Science: The Strong Programme
Genesis of a Scientific Fact
Historical Epistemology
The New Pragmatism
Summary and Conclusion
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 22 | 128 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching activity | 22 | Weekly two-hour seminars, introduced by a 45 min. lecture from the lecturer. Each seminar will focus on a classical book. It will include 20-30 min. group presentations (depending on number of students in the group) on these books, followed by in-depth discussions of the concepts and arguments employed. A section from the book will be selected as required reading for all seminar participants |
| Guided independent study | 128 | A variety of private study activities guided by your module leader. Most of this time (60 hours) is going to be spent on reading the assigned books. In addition, you will be pointed to secondary literature on these books, and asked to do your own research for literature on JSTOR and similar on-line repositories for philosophical literature (30 hours). Based on this work, you will be asked to prepare one assessed group presentation of 20 mins (8 hours), one essay plan consisting of a short proposal and literature review (10 hours), and an essay of 2500 words (20 hours). |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essay plan | 500 words | 1-6 | Verbal |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 70 | 0 | 30 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Group presentation | 30 | 10 minutes | 3,5,6 | Verbal |
| Essay | 70 | 2,500 words | 1-6 | Written feedback |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Group presentation | Essay | 3,5,6 | August/September reassessment period |
| Essay | Essay (2,500 words) | 1-6 | August/September reassessment period |
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
C. G. Hempel, The Philosophy of Natural Sciences, Prentice Hall 1966.
S. Shapin, The Scientific Revolution, Chicago University Press 1998.
H.-J. Rheinberger, On Historisizing Epistemology, Stanford University Press 2010
Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources
Lecture notes and reading lists are made available through ELE: http://vle.exeter.ac.uk/
A good online source in general for background reading in philosophy is the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy at http://plato.stanford.edu/.
| Credit value | 15 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 7.5 |
| Module pre-requisites | PHL1005A |
| Module co-requisites | None |
| NQF level (module) | 5 |
| Available as distance learning? | No |
| Origin date | 01/10/2005 |
| Last revision date | 15/04/2014 |
