PHIL 332 - Philosophy of Science

4 credits. A2.

An examination of the historical development and philosophical presuppositions of modern science. Such issues as the nature of scientific explanation and description, the role of reductionism in scientific theory, the character of scientific revolution, the scope and limits of scientific speculation, and the effect of the “scientific establishment” on innovation and initiative are discussed. Theorists such as Popper, Nagel, Feyerabend, Kuhn, Hempel and Carnap will be studied.