FI:VB007 Philosophy of Science I - Course Information

VB007 Philosophy of Science I

Extent and Intensity

2/0. 2 credit(s) (plus extra credits for completion). Type of Completion: z (credit).

Teacher(s)

prof. PhDr. Ing. Miloslav Dokulil, DrSc. (lecturer)

Guaranteed by

doc. RNDr. Aleš Horák, Ph.D.
Department of Machine Learning and Data Processing – Faculty of Informatics
Contact Person: prof. PhDr. Ing. Miloslav Dokulil, DrSc.
Supplier department: Department of Machine Learning and Data Processing – Faculty of Informatics

Timetable

Wed 8:00–9:50 A319

Prerequisites

The course presupposes some interest in general problems of science (as knowledge of the world and life in it). It is recommended to follow by Philosophy of Science II. We should at last understand this intellectula evolution as a breathtaking "exponential" of this time.(In the preceding two years, the "talk-show" method has been applied for the introduction of new contemporaneous knowledge as being systematically integrated.)

Course Enrolment Limitations

The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
The capacity limit for the course is 52 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 0/52, only registered: 0/52, only registered with preference (fields directly associated with the programme): 0/52

fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with

there are 18 fields of study the course is directly associated with, display

Course objectives

Science is a specific activity of man. It covers induction, deduction, category of quantity, causality, criteria of verification since the beginning of the 17th century till the start of the 20th century, to enable an understanding of the exponential development of science beginning in the 20th century.

Syllabus

• Introduction: "Time boundaries" in general.
• Birth of science as a modern phenomenon, its problems, methods and criteria. Presuppositions to a "paradigmatically" new perspective to the world and human tradition.
• The geocentric problem as a confrontation of sensual absurdity with the necessity of adequately describing it and thus enabling its prediction. (From scholastic solutions to a definite break with the Aristotelian tradition.)
• From sublunar steps to the first big jump into the supralunar world.
• What, and how, is reality? Is its adequate clue empirism, or rationalism?
• Encyclopedia as a product of Enlightenment.
• Hume's skepsis over causality. Laws and probability.
• Physiocratism as a projection of an "harmonic order", at the same time as a first model application in economics.
• The positivist experiment in trying to change the world by the force of ideas. The initial variants of physicalism.
• Problem of humanities at the end of 19-th century. (Is it possible to apply the natural-science criteria in humanities?)
• "Rationally" fighting "fiction", or does the invisible exist?
• Einstein's and Planck's shade.
• An awkward look back and forward on the threshold of the third millennium.
• The beginning of the philosophy of science.

Literature

• Literatura se zadává průběžně během jednotlivých lekcí.

Teaching methods

Successive explanation based on texts to be accessed electronically); the lesson is regularly introduced by some updating (news from the world od science, anniversaries). To be exhorted to think about the knowledge spoken should mean more than reading some text behind the back of the lecturer.

Assessment methods

2 credits after both regularly attending the classes and submitting 1 essay.

Language of instruction

Czech

Follow-Up Courses

• V008 Philosophy of Science II

Further comments (probably available only in Czech)

Study Materials
The course is taught annually.

• Enrolment Statistics (Autumn 2016, recent)
  
• Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/fi/autumn2016/VB007