Philosophy of science I

Pre-requisites: None

Course objectives: Student should get familiar with the basic methodological concepts used in empirical sciences, both in natural and social and historical, that would provide him or her with the ability for philosophical understanding and critical evaluation of contemporary scientific theories.

Course description: The course covers topics from the methodology of empirical sciences: basic concepts of the methodology of science, methodology of natural sciences, social science methodology, methods of historical sciences, relation between scentific theories and reality and so on. More specifically, following topics are included: 1. methods for creation of scientific concepts, types of scientific definitions and defining methods; 2. evolution of scientific concepts, relation between concepts; 3. division and classification in science; 4. basic forms of reasoning and appropriate methods; 5. deduction: hypothetical-deductive and axiomatic method; 6. the concept and types of induction, induction and probability; 7. theories of scientific truth (correspondence, coherence and evidence) 8. the subject of methodology and its relation to logic and theory of knowledge; 9. science: concept and classification; 10. the process of scentific research; 11. scientific facts, theories and systems; 12. particular methodological problems of social sciences; 13. problems of methods in historiographic disciplines.

Learning Outcomes: Students are expected to become familiar with the content of the course as it is covered in lectures and exercises, relying on the mandatory and additional literature. For grading, active participation in classes and prepared thematic expositions will be particularly taken into account.

Literature/Reading:

• Barbara Smit: ‘Krojenje uma’, H. Rouz i S. Rouz, priređivači, Avaj jadni Darvine!, Klio, 2009, Beograd. T. Nejgel: Struktura nauke, NOLIT. Beograd, 1974. S.C. Nortrop: Logika Prirodnih i društvenih nauka, Obod, Cetinje, 1968.