Science and the Quest for Truth

On a fairly conventional view, science exemplifies humankind's rational inquiry into the true structure of the world. But what exactly is science? In what sense is it rational? Are scientific claims true or merely useful in predicting and controlling our environment? To answer these questions, we will examine scientific activities such as theory construction, explanation, confirmation, and experimentation, and their role in debates concerning the role of rationality and truth in scientific knowledge. (This course presupposes no prior knowledge of philosophy or science.)

Schedule
7:30pm-10:25pm on Tuesday (Feb 11, 2019 to May 13, 2019)
Location
Twilight Hall 301
Instructors