PSY275 Philosophical foundations of psychological knowledge

Faculty of Social Studies
Spring 2019
Extent and Intensity
1/1/0. 4 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
doc. Mgr. et Mgr. Jan Šerek, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
doc. Mgr. et Mgr. Jan Šerek, Ph.D.
Department of Psychology – Faculty of Social Studies
Contact Person: doc. Mgr. et Mgr. Jan Šerek, Ph.D.
Supplier department: Department of Psychology – Faculty of Social Studies
Timetable
Mon 18. 2. 8:00–9:40 P52, Mon 4. 3. 8:00–9:40 P52, Mon 18. 3. 8:00–9:40 P52, Mon 1. 4. 8:00–9:40 P52, Mon 15. 4. 8:00–9:40 P52, Mon 6. 5. 8:00–9:40 P52
  • Timetable of Seminar Groups:
PSY275/01: Mon 25. 2. 8:00–9:40 U32, Mon 11. 3. 8:00–9:40 U32, Mon 25. 3. 8:00–9:40 U32, Mon 8. 4. 8:00–9:40 U32, Mon 29. 4. 8:00–9:40 U32, Mon 13. 5. 8:00–9:40 U32
PSY275/02: Mon 25. 2. 10:00–11:40 U33, Mon 11. 3. 10:00–11:40 U33, Mon 25. 3. 10:00–11:40 U33, Mon 8. 4. 10:00–11:40 U33, Mon 29. 4. 10:00–11:40 U33, Mon 13. 5. 10:00–11:40 U33
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
This course pursues selected issues in epistemology, philosophy of science and argumentation theory. It aims to provide a deeper insight into the debates that students already know or will learn from courses on research methodology in psychology. A particular focus is on the understanding of basic philosophical standpoints and their rationale. A section focused on the theory of argumentation aims to cultivate a general skill of critical thinking in professional debates within psychology.
Learning outcomes
After passing this course, student will be able:
- to identify author's epistemological standpoint in psychological literature;
- to reconstruct arguments for and against basic approaches in philosophy of science;
- to explain how research and statistical methodologies are affected by different approaches in philosophy of science;
- to analyze arguments in terms of their quality and to identify basic argumentation fallacies;
- to asses the validity of arguments from the perspective of propositional logic.
Syllabus
  • 1. Realism and anti-realism (positivism, social constructivism)
  • 2. Falsification and revolution (Popper, Kuhn, Lakatos)
  • 3. Traditional versus Bayesian epistemology
  • 4. "Science wars" (sociology of science, critical theory)
  • 5. Foundations of argumentation and logic
  • 6. Fundamental concepts of the philosophy of mind
Literature
    required literature
  • BEM, Sacha a Huibert LOOREN DE JONG. Theoretical issues in psychology : an introduction. 3rd ed. Thousand Oaks, Calif.: SAGE, 2013. xv, 416. ISBN 978-0857029799
  • CHALMERS, A. F. What is this thing called science? Fourth edition. Indianapolis: Hackett publishing company, 2013, xxi, 282. ISBN 9781624660382. info
  • PICHA, Marek. Kritické myšlení a rekonstrukce argumentu (Critical thinking and reconstruction of argument). 1. vyd. Brno: Masarykova univerzita, 2014, 41 pp. ISBN 978-80-210-6730-1. info
    recommended literature
  • LATOUR, Bruno. Stopovat a skládat světy s Brunem Latourem : výbor z textů 1988-2013. Edited by Tereza Stöckelová, Translated by Čestmír Pelikán. Vydání první. Praha: tranzit.cz, 2016, 250 stran. ISBN 9788087259375. info
  • FAJKUS, Břetislav. Filosofie a metodologie vědy : vývoj, současnost a perspektivy. Vyd. 1. Praha: Academia, 2005, 339 s. ISBN 8020013040. info
  • After the science wars. Edited by Keith M. Ashman - Philip S. Baringer. New York: Routledge, 2001, vi, 221 p. ISBN 041521209X. info
  • PUTNAM, Hilary and Richard RORTY. Co po metafyzice? : (Hilary Putnam a Richard Rorty o realismu a relativismu). Edited by Jaroslav Peregrin. Bratislava: Archa, 1997, 94 s. ISBN 8071151394. info
  • Criticism and the growth of knowledge : proceedings of the International colloquium in the philosophy of science, London, 1965. Edited by Imre Lakatos - Alan Musgrave. Repr. with corrections. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1974, 282 s. ISBN 0521096235. info
Teaching methods
Lectures, seminar discussions, reading.
Assessment methods
Two written tests on the reading materials (2 x max. 5 points), seminar attendance (max. 5 points), final written test (max. 50 points). Overall 31 or more points is needed to pass.
Language of instruction
Czech
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
Study Materials
Listed among pre-requisites of other courses
The course is also listed under the following terms Autumn 2012, Autumn 2013, Autumn 2014, Autumn 2015, Spring 2017, Spring 2018.
  • Enrolment Statistics (recent)
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