Methodology and Philosophy of Science

Pre-requisites: None

Course objectives: Students should improve their knowledge in specific areas of methodology and philosophy of science, particularly in relation to specialization that they choose. Thus, the course will be adapted to the individual interests of students.

Course description: This course provides two options/issues: relation between realism and anti-realism in contemporary methodology and theories of induction and probability. Topics of the first option include the following issues: definition and key points of scientific realism, variations of anti-realism (conventionalism, pragmatism, relativism, etc.), anti-realistic arguments, realistic and anti-realistic interpretation of central methodological concepts (progress, explanation, theory, etc.), convergence of realism and anti-realism and various directions of contemporary realism and anti-realism. The second option includes the following topics: history of theory of induction and probability (from ancient period to the 1930s), contemporary theories of induction and probability (Keynes, Karnap, Reichenbach, Hempel, etc.), varieties of justification of induction, epistemological problems of different definitions of induction and probability, roles of induction in scientific research, induction and contemporary problems of methodology and philosophy of science, and so on.

Learning Outcomes: Student must show that he or she has mastered the methodological content to the extent that it enables him or her to detect and apply the key methodological concepts in the process of writing the master-work. It would be optimal that each student write a seminar paper as a methodological introduction to the master-work.

Literature/Reading:

• Lari Laudan, Progres i njegovi problemi