Postgraduate Module Descriptor


SOCM945: Philosophy of Science

This module descriptor refers to the 2017/8 academic year.

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 ActivitiesGuided independent studyPlacement / study abroad
222780

...and this table provides a more detailed breakdown of the hours allocated to various study activities:

CategoryHours of study timeDescription
Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities2211 x 2 hour seminars
Guided independent study278Independent study

Online Resources

This module has online resources available via ELE (the Exeter Learning Environment).

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.