Lecturer(s)
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Course content
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Lectures: 1. Introduction; what is philosophy; the relationship between science and philosophy 2. 17th century revolution; the emergence of scientific philosophy 3. Hume, Kant; limits of human reason 4. Mechanistic philosophy and its problems 5. Process thought and evolutionism 6. Darwins' dangerous idea; problems of modern evolutionary theory 7. Positivism and logical empirism 8. Einsteinian revolution in physics - its general consequences 9. Collapse of Positivism - how does the science really work? 10. Systems theory; philosophical consequences of cybernetics 11. Introduction: philosophical problems of quantum physics 12. Understanding the life - philosophical problems of life 13. Philosophical problems of technology and nanotechnology 14. Transhumanism and Posthumanism Seminars (discussing selected chapters from books): 1. Alexandre Koyré: From the Closed World to the Infinite Universe 2. David Hume: An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding 3. Gideon Freudenthal: Atom and Individual in the Age of Newton 4. Ernst Mayr: What Evolution Is: From Theory to Fact 5. Francois Jacob: The Logic of Life 6. Gerald Holton: Thematic Origins of Scientific Thought: Kepler to Einstein 7. Gerald Holton: Einstein for the 21st century: His Legacy in Science, Art and Modern Culture 8. Alfred N. Whitehead: Adventures of Ideas 9. Fritjof Capra: The Web of Life 10. Georges Canguilhem: Knowledge of Life 11. Joachim Schummer and Davis Baird: Nanotechnology Challenges 12. Michio Kaku: The Future of Humanity
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Learning activities and teaching methods
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unspecified
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Learning outcomes
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Students of the course Philosophy of Science will be acquainted with the issue of the relationship between science and philosophy. Emphasis will be placed on major philosophical issues that are implicit in scientific concepts.
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Prerequisites
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unspecified
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Assessment methods and criteria
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unspecified
active participation in seminars seminar work in the range of 6 standard pages (the topic of the seminar work must be consulted with the teacher)
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Recommended literature
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