Philosophy of Science

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Starting from classical positions on the objectivity and methodology of science, such as those of logical empiricism and critical rationalism, the so called historical and sociological turn in the theory of science will be analyzed. Students will learn about the work of Kuhn, whose paradigm theory of science revolutionized thinking about scientific knowledge. Typical issues in this course are: what is the role of observation in science? What is a scientific explanation? What roles do theories and experiments play in science? What is the nature of scientific progress? Can we rationally decide between scientific viewpoints?