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.
