Philosophy of science explores the scientific enterprise in a philosophical manner. Its goal is to gain understanding in how science works, in its method, in the values governing it, and in the logic of scientific discovery. The types of question we will be dealing with in this class are such as: What is science? What is the difference between science and magic or superstition? Is there “a” scientific method? Can any explanation become scientific? Is there any difference between a scientific prediction and a scientific guess? What values are at work in the logic of scientific discovery? Is science objective? Can we choose to believe a scientific theory?

Given our dependence on the advances of science and technology, it seems particularly relevant to reflect on these issues. This class will help to understand the impact that science has on the way we understand ourselves and the world around us. (It is suited for science majors and for non-science majors.)