C4865 Discover science 1 - scientific knowledge and thinking

Faculty of Science
Autumn 2020
Extent and Intensity
2/0/0. 2 credit(s) (plus extra credits for completion). Recommended Type of Completion: zk (examination). Other types of completion: k (colloquium).
Teacher(s)
doc. Mgr. Jan Havliš, Dr. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
doc. Mgr. Jan Havliš, Dr.
National Centre for Biomolecular Research – Faculty of Science
Contact Person: doc. Mgr. Jan Havliš, Dr.
Supplier department: National Centre for Biomolecular Research – Faculty of Science
Timetable
Wed 9:00–10:50 C02/211
Prerequisites
subject is open to any student with interest in principles behind scientific knowledge.
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
main objective of the course is to acquaint students with science in its wider sense, mainly as a reliable method of gaining knowledge.
Learning outcomes
at the end of the course students should be able:
to analyse development of scientific study of phenomena
to understand its tools and means (up to its contemporary state)
to master practical aspects connected to scientific work.
Syllabus
  • A. science as a method
  • : science – what all it could be and what not
  • :: pseudo-science, non-science, anti-science
  • : nature, development and history of (scientific) knowledge and thinking
  • : epistemology and language
  • : methods and tools of discovering
  • :: causality, statements, system theory, statistics, study design
  • : procedure of research
  • :: shaping presumptions/aims/means
  • :: observation
  • :: data collection, hypothesis, hypothesis testing, generalisation, theory
Literature
  • Stenger, V. J. God: the failed hypothesis, New York 2007
  • FLEGR, Jaroslav. Zamrzlá evoluce, aneb, Je to jinak, pane Darwin. Vydání 2., rozšířené. Praha: Academia, 2016, 339 stran. ISBN 9788020025289. info
  • HEMPEL, Carl Gustav. Filozofie přírodních věd. Translated by Petr Hromek. Vydání první. Červený Kostelec: Pavel Mervart, 2015, 234 stran. ISBN 9788074644542. info
  • ZÁMEČNÍK, Lukáš Hadwiger. Nástin filozofie vědy : empirické základy vědy v analytické tradici. První vydání. Brno: Host, 2015, 409 stran. ISBN 9788074916083. info
  • TKADLEC, Emil. Strategie a metody vědecké práce v přírodních vědách : filozofické názory a komunikační dovednosti. 1. vyd. Olomouc: Univerzita Palackého v Olomouci, 2011, 195 s. ISBN 9788024426754. info
  • OCHRANA, František. Metodologie vědy : úvod do problému. Vyd. 1. Praha: Karolinum, 2009, 156 s. ISBN 9788024616094. info
  • MARKS, Jonathan. Jsme téměř 100% šimpanzi? : lidoopi, lidé a geny. Translated by Jindřiška Fišerová. Vyd. 1. Praha: Academia, 2006, 349 s. ISBN 8020013210. info
  • FAJKUS, Břetislav. Filosofie a metodologie vědy : vývoj, současnost a perspektivy. Vyd. 1. Praha: Academia, 2005, 339 s. ISBN 8020013040. info
  • ROSENBERG, Alexander. Philosophy of science : a contemporary introduction. 2nd ed. New York: Routledge, 2005, x, 213. ISBN 0415343178. info
  • DEMJANČUK, Nikolaj. Filosofie a vědecké myšlení :proměna obrazu vědy v analytické tradici. 1. vyd. Dobrá Voda: Aleš Čeněk, 2002, 245 s. ISBN 80-86473-19-8. info
  • FEYERABEND, Paul. Rozprava proti metodě. Praha: Aurora, 2001, 431 pp. ISBN 80-7299-047-0. info
  • ŠESTÁK, Zdeněk. Jak psát a přednášet o vědě. Illustrated by Hana Kymrová. Vyd. 1. Praha: Academia, 1999, 204 s. ISBN 8020007555. info
  • DAWKINS, Richard. Unweaving the rainbow :science, delusion and the appetite for wonder. 1st pub. London: Penguin Books, 1999, xvi, 335 s. ISBN 0-14-026408-6. info
  • Logika vědeckého bádání. Edited by Karl R. Popper. 1. vyd. Praha: OIKOYMENH, 1997, xliv, 617. ISBN 80-86005-45-3. info
  • LEM, Stanislaw. Summa technologiae. Praha: Magnet-Press, 1995, 328 s. ISBN 80-85847-47-7. info
Teaching methods
the lecture, either offline or online, is based on ppt presentation and its explication. presentation it-self will be available as a study material (black-and-white printable pdf with high resolution and restricted access rights). it is recommended to attend the lecture, because of the explication, which significantly extends the presentation and because of limited availability of textbooks in english covering certain parts of the subject.
Assessment methods
oral examination, either online of offline, students are required to understand and to be familiar with the principles and their applications. examination consists of two questions referring the theoretical and practical aspects of scientific knowledge. within both, understanding and ability to relevantly dispute about will be requested. during the course, students will be given ungraded, voluntary, time-saving tasks to consolidate the acquired knowledge.
alternatively, due to the circumstances, it is possible to pass the course in the form of a two-part essay on assigned topics with a maximum length of 5 pages per essay.
Language of instruction
Czech
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
Study Materials
The course can also be completed outside the examination period.
The course is taught annually.
Listed among pre-requisites of other courses
Teacher's information
videocon lectures will take place in the MS teams environment. if possible, download the environment application. all MU students have access to it via office 365, see "external services" in IS. i recommend learning to work with the application in advance. the use of a browser version restricts your access to some useful functions. the lecture will be recorded in mp4 format and then uploaded in the study materials in IS. MS teams guides: https://is.muni.cz/auth/do/mu/samostudium/pages_en/02-online.html
The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2013, Autumn 2013, Spring 2014, Autumn 2014, Autumn 2015, Spring 2016, Autumn 2016, Spring 2017, autumn 2017, Autumn 2018, Autumn 2019, autumn 2021, Autumn 2022, Autumn 2023, Autumn 2024.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Autumn 2020, recent)
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