Phil 036 Philosophy of Science

Lecturer: Alex MOK

Description:

This course introduces the major concepts and issues explored in contemporary philosophy of science. No background in science is presupposed. The course will start with a survey of the traditional topics such as scientific knowledge and explanation. The latter part of the course will then focus on the recent developments in the philosophies of some special sciences including chaos theory, relativity, quantum physics, evolutionary biology, the big bang cosmology, genetic engineering and artificial intelligence. It is hoped that the students not only will acquire a general knowledge of scientific epistemology and methodology, but also will perceive the particular philosophical implications currently examined in various fields of modern science.

Reference:

1. BOYD R., GASPER P. & TROUT J.D. (ed.), The Philosophy of Science (Massachusetts: MIT Press, 1991)

2. SALMON M.H. & Others, Introduction to the Philosophy of Science (New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1992)

3. O HEAR A., An Introduction to the Philosophy of Science (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1989)

4. CURD M. & COVER J.A. (ed.), Philosophy of Science: the central issues (New York: W. W. Norton, 1998)

5. CORNWELL J. (ed.), Nature's Imagination: the frontier of scientific vision (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1995)

6. RUSSEL R.J., STOEGER W.R. & COYNE G.V.(ed.), Physics, Philosophy and Theology: a common quest for understanding, 2nd ed. (Vatican City: Vatican Observatory, 1995)

Note:

Not offered this year