Philosophy of Science (Lectures 1-10 & Textbook notes)
48 views 3 purchases
Course
Philosophy of Science
Institution
Universiteit Van Amsterdam (UvA)
Book
Exploring Humans
Notes for the first-year 'Philosophy of Science' course in the Communication Science programme at UvA. Notes cover all the (10) lectures of the course and supplementary information carefully integrated into each topic from the textbook "Exploring Humans". The combination of both offer an exhaustive...
Samenvatting Exploring Humans - Philosophy of the social sciences (3801PSQPVY)
All for this textbook (27)
Written for
Universiteit van Amsterdam (UvA)
Communicatiewetenschap
Philosophy of Science
All documents for this subject (7)
Seller
Follow
laurasofonea75
Content preview
Philosophy Lectures
Week 1 – Part 1
Alternative facts vs. falsehood
Importance of facts: making choices, taking decisions, making policies;
Looking for facts in:
- science (natural and social sciences);
- crowning achievement of the human mind;
Types of facts: natural, technological
Two philosophical positions about science: scientism vs. scepticism;
Scepticism:
- science does not give certainty, it is equal to other forms of knowledge, science as
faith;
- critical thinking about science; its methods and its boundaries, pluralistic conception
of rationality and knowledge;
- more than one truth, truth is experience, uncertainty, knowledge= oppressive power;
science as an ideology;
- our mind= crooked mirror (we know nothing, and we never will);
- post modernism: secular but different focus on individual and emotional
expression;
- knowledge and truth are social constructions that need “deconstruction”;
- Relativism/Nihilism;
- Slogan: anything goes;
- Science mirrors nature;
,Scientism:
- science is vastly superior to all other attempts at securing knowledge, its laws provide
certainty;
- modernists;
- age of certainty;
- use of reason;
- our mind = perfect mirror of reality;
- modernism = modern thinking: rational-secular (no religion), think for yourself, use
reason only; modernity
- knowledge and truth about nature and humans are only found by science;
- slogan: the scientific method is the only method to obtain facts and the truth; science
is about everything;
- a relativistic (everything is relative, no absolute truth), radical interpretation of
philosophical scepticism has become like a raging fire in society;
- background of the debate:
o alternative facts;
o fact free politics;
o fake news;
o post-truth era (causing populism);
o political correctness, freedom of speech, identity politics and conformism;
in CS: misinformation, disinformation;
- science encountered with skepticism: climate change, vaccination;
- The Enlightment:
o focus on reason and individualism instead of tradition;
o David Hume, Immanuel Kant;
- Scientific revolution:
o New methods of doing research;
o New philosophy of knowledge and the world;
o Francis Bacon, Rene Decartes;
, - The political enlightment -age of reason;
- Industrial revolution;
- Great Acceleration:
o Rise of globalization, communication, media and specialization of knowledge;
- Anthropocene: human – new, recent;
o Human (instead of nature) activity is now the dominant influence on climate
and the environment;
Exploration styles:
Naïve inquiry
o Non-formalized, non-systematic and non-controlled form of collecting and
summarizing information into naïve theories;
o Random;
o Common sense;
o Pre-modern thinking: religious thinking, belief in a given truth;
o Non-sophisticated ways of knowing reality (fixed beliefs);
o Methods of knowing:
Tenacity: what is commonly known is true;
Authority: high regarded person speaks the truth;
Reasonable man: reason and logical consistency is key;
o Associations: biases, convictions, skepticism, myth;
o Slogan: “I have this theory: Theory= Hypothesis;
Scientific inquiry
o Highly formalized, systematic and controlled inquiry;
o Science shifts the focus of truth from single individuals to groups, by
establishing a set of mutually agreed, upon rules for establishing truth;
o Modern thinking;
o Analytical-empirical approach;
o Empirical circle;
o Key is theory: a theory is a set of interrelated constructs, definitions, and
propositions that present a systematic view of phenomena by specifying
relations among variables…
, Week 1 – Part 2
Philosophy of Knowledge – Out of the cave – Antiquity;
Ontology:
- The study of being;
- What is the world made of?
- Why is there something rather than nothing?
Metaphysics:
- Study of what is beyond, or rising above, nature;
- The study of the first causes of things, that what we cannot observe;
Two visions in Antiquity on the distinction between appearance and reality;
Heraclites:
o Change is real, being is not real: reality is constantly changing (panta rei -
everything flows), nothing is, everything becomes;
o Some things only stay the same by changing;
Parmenides:
o Being is real, change is not; everything is, nothing becomes;
o Eternal Forms;
Approach 1 – Thought experiment;
Plato
- Nativism: our knowledge is stored inside us, we have innate knowledge; if we think
hard enough, we can remember information we lack; anamnesis: learning-by-
recollecting; our knowledge was lost when we were born;
Rationalism
Maintains that true knowledge about reality derives from the proper use of our
reasoning capacities;
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller laurasofonea75. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for $5.91. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
