Class Details
Philosophy Course: Philosophy and History of Science - Quantum
Course summary
The birth of Western philosophy and the ‘scientific’ study of nature begin together in the pre-Socratic Greek world. In this course we will take a philosophical trip from the beginnings of Western science, through the Renaissance and Modern philosophy to the present. We will uncover the principles behind the discoveries of ideas which lead to contemporary science and the amazing world of quantum theory. Heisenberg proposed that quantum ideas can be traced back to Aristotle’s potential: “a strange kind of physical reality just in the middle between possibility and reality.”
Aims
The aim of the course is to engage you in a lively discussion on what ‘science’ is, how it works and how it differs from other forms of knowledge such as religion. Science affects many areas of life including how humans understand themselves in relation to the natural world, and their place in the universe.
Learning outcomes
By the end of this course, you should be able to:
- understand the relationship between the history of science and the beginnings of philosophy
- read extracts from the key theorists both ancient, modern and contemporary on the ideas behind the exploration of the natural world
- relate their ideas to some of our contemporary debates about the role of the sciences in our world
- discuss many of the ideas on the relationship between philosophy of science and its relation to broader issues of politics and society
- research further on issues relating to new ideas in physics.
Content
Introduction to the philosophy of science
The course will begin with a general introduction to the theory of philosophy of science as a discipline. We will also introduce some of the fundamental ideas of contemporary physics and quantum mechanics.
Aristotle's theory of reality
Aristotle insisted that scientific knowledge (Ancient Greek: ἐπιστήμη, Latin: scientia) is knowledge of necessary causes. He and his followers would not accept mere description or prediction as science. . Aristotle approaches a question important to quantum theory: How can something exist in an unmanifested, intermediate state before it becomes a concrete reality?
Nicolaus Copernicus (1473–1543) and others in the Early Modern period
Copernicus not only transformed Astronomy but began a ‘revolution’ which eventually changed the way in which humans understood their place and role in the universe. Whilst there was no split between science, philosophy and religion during this Early Modern period, the eventual outcome was the divergence of these disciplines.
Albert Einstein (1879-1955)
Einstein’s theory of relativity is the beginning of the new physics and marked the radical shift from classical Newtonian theory. Einstein’s theory of “spooky action at a distance” is the beginning of the study of ‘entanglement’ which has many contemporary ramifications. However, we will look at some of the disagreements between Einstein and scientists such as Heisenberg and Schrodinger.
Methodologies in science
Throughout the course we will be considering issues of methodology. Methodology concerns how evidence is collected; what counts as evidence; how data is organised and how it is represented.
Who this course is for
Anyone with a general interest in philosophy and the course themes.
Prerequisites
None
Delivery style
Lecture/discussion
Delivery mode
Online via the platform Zoom
Materials
All course materials are provided electronically.
Sessions
Location
Online via Zoom
Other information
Our online via Zoom courses are interactive and delivered in real-time. You will have the chance to ask questions and join in activities, just as you would in any in-person class.
Our facilitators are well versed in Zoom delivery and will skillfully guide you in your online learning journey.
Instructions regarding how to connect to online classes will be sent to participants about 4 days before the class commences.
Meet the facilitators
Kerry Sanders
Dr Kerry Sanders gained her PhD in Philosophy at the University of Sydney. She has taught topics including the philosophy of mind; ethics; critical thinking; political philosophy; contemporary philosophy of technology; phenomenology; and the philosophy of music. She also participates in the Gifted Students Program, which provides philosophy sessions to high school students who show interest in a broad scope of ideas and wish to develop their thinking abilities through the challenge which philosophy gives. Most recently, Kerry was awarded the title of Honorary Associate to pursue research and other academic activities in the Department of Philosophy at the University of Sydney.
Kerry’s approach to philosophy
Philosophy is a living practice which calls us to critique our own pre suppositions, and it asks us to assess ideas in relation to our own lives and society. In engaging with the ideas of philosophy, we both study and practice it. Philosophy can be thought of as engaging in an ‘adventure sport for the mind’, as we develop critical thinking techniques and learn to use the mind in new ways. The skills developed in the practice of philosophy are also relevant to many other areas of academic study, as well as in the complex living of our ordinary lives. Much of Western philosophy is based on the priority of reason and logic in human thought, however to fully understand the human condition we must also consider the role of experience, emotions and the body.
Other academic functions
- Supervision of Postgraduate seminar groups
- University preparation courses, from 2000 to 2015
- Sydney College of the Arts, University of Sydney
- Australian Postgraduate Research Award (four years)
- Vera Edith Thorpe Scholarship
