Module SOCM945 for 2017/8
- Overview
- Aims and Learning Outcomes
- Module Content
- Indicative Reading List
- Assessment
Postgraduate Module Descriptor
SOCM945: Philosophy of Science
This module descriptor refers to the 2017/8 academic year.
Module Aims
To provide a thorough and rigorous discussion of the main issues in contemporary philosophy of science.
To foster techniques of analytical and critical inquiry.
| On successfully completing the programme you will be able to: | |
|---|---|
| Module-Specific Skills | 1. Demonstrate a thorough understanding of the main realist and anti-realist arguments on the epistemological status of scientific theories; 2. alternative accounts of the nature of scientific theories; 3. the problem of continuity vs. revolutionary change in the history of science, 4. and its philosophical consequences; the main philosophical theories of confirmation and induction; 5. the role of laboratory experimentation in the production of scientific knowledge. 6. Locate all these issues in the wider debate on philosophical theories of knowledge. |
| Discipline-Specific Skills | 7. Demonstrate detailed awareness of the methods used by natural and social scientists, and their philosophical 'explication'/justification by philosophers of science. 8. Criticise and evaluate philosophical theories of knowledge-production from a purely logical viewpoint 9. Use empirical and historical case-studies to enrich and criticise philosophical theories. |
| Personal and Key Skills | 10. Construct and evaluate ideas. 11. Formulate and express ideas at different levels of abstraction. 12. Assess and criticise the views of others. |
Module Content
Syllabus Plan
Introduction
Popper
Kuhn
The Sociology of Scientific Knowledge
Social epistemology
Science and values
Theories and models
Scientific representation
Understanding
Experiment
Practice
Learning and Teaching
This table provides an overview of how your hours of study for this module are allocated:
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 22 | 278 | 0 |
...and this table provides a more detailed breakdown of the hours allocated to various study activities:
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | 22 | 11 x 2 hour seminars |
| Guided independent study | 278 | Independent study |
Online Resources
This module has online resources available via ELE (the Exeter Learning Environment).
How this Module is Assessed
In the tables below, you will see reference to 'ILO's. An ILO is an Intended Learning Outcome - see Aims and Learning Outcomes for details of the ILOs for this module.
Formative Assessment
A formative assessment is designed to give you feedback on your understanding of the module content but it will not count towards your mark for the module.
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seminar presentations | Throughout term | 1-12 | Verbal feedback |
| Compulsory readings | Throughout term | 1-12 | N/A |
Summative Assessment
A summative assessment counts towards your mark for the module. The table below tells you what percentage of your mark will come from which type of assessment.
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | 0 | 0 |
...and this table provides further details on the summative assessments for this module.
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essay 1 | 50 | 4,000-5,000 words | 1-12 | Written feedback |
| Essay 2 | 50 | 4,000-5,000 words | 1-12 | Written feedback |
| 0 | ||||
| 0 | ||||
| 0 | ||||
| 0 |
Re-assessment
Re-assessment takes place when the summative assessment has not been completed by the original deadline, and the student has been allowed to refer or defer it to a later date (this only happens following certain criteria and is always subject to exam board approval). For obvious reasons, re-assessments cannot be the same as the original assessment and so these alternatives are set. In cases where the form of assessment is the same, the content will nevertheless be different.
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essay 1 | Essay 1 (4,000-5,000 words) | 1-12 | Next reassessment period |
| Essay 2 | Essay 2 (4,000-5,000 words) | 1-12 | Next reassessment period |
Indicative Reading List
This reading list is indicative - i.e. it provides an idea of texts that may be useful to you on this module, but it is not considered to be a confirmed or compulsory reading list for this module.
Barnes, B., Bloor, D., & Henry, J. (1996) Scientific Knowledge: A Sociological Analysis. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Cartwright, N. (1983) How the Laws of Physics Lie. Oxford: Clarendon.
Curd, M., Cover, J.A. and Pincock (Eds.) (2012) Philosophy of Science: The Central Issues. New York: Norton.
Godfrey-Smith, P. (2003) Theory and Reality: An Introduction to the Philosophy of Science, Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Goodman, N. (1954) Fact, Fiction, and Forecast. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Kuhn, T. (1970) The Structure of Scientific Revolutions. Chicago: Chicago University Press.
Latour, B. (1987) Science in Action: How to Follow Scientists and Engineers through Society. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Lipton, P. (1991) Inference to the Best Explanation. New York: Routledge.
Okasha, S. (2002) Philosophy of Science: A Very Short Introduction, Oxford: OUP.
Popper, K. (1959) The Logic of Scientific Discovery. London: Routledge.
Psillos, S. (1999) Scientific Realism: How Science Tracks Truth. London: Routledge.
Van Frassen, B. (1980) The Scientific Image. Oxford: Clarendon.
