Philosophy of science and ethics

This course aims to introduce the participants to core issues in the philosophy and ethics of science. The course will convey different concepts and positions regarding the demarcation of science from non-science, the nature of the scientific method, theories of explanation and confirmation, the rationality and progress of theory change, modelling and inference under uncertainty, the role of science and technology in society, and the ethical responsibilities of scientists.

The course is open for candidates with a documented admission to a PhD programme. As the number of participants is limited to 30, PhD candidates from the BFE faculty will be given priority.

Registration deadline is 14 January 2013.

To register for the course, please use the application form (see link below) and send it to Ingjerd Gauslaa Nilsen at BFE faculty, University of Tromsø (ingjerd.nilsen@uit.no):

https://uit.no/ansatte/organisasjon/artikkel?p_menu=42428&p_document_id=199684&p_lang=2&p_dimension_id=88199

Only students admitted to the course may take part in instruction and tuition and sit for the examination.

By the end of this course students will be expected to understand:

• the basic issues in the philosophy of science such as the demarcation problem, the debate among competing accounts of the scientific method, the problem of induction, and the concepts of paradigms and scientific revolutions;
• the role and place of science and technology in a modern society;
• various ethical positions and the main ethical issues relating to science.

By the end of this course students will be expected to have gained the following skills:

• the ability to communicate key philosophical and ethical concepts;
• the ability to engage in contemporary debates about the nature and role of science;
• the ability to see their own research in a wider perspective, and to critically reflect upon the basic assumptions and challenges of their research projects.

If you pass the examination in this course, you will get an reduction in credits (as stated below), if you previously have passed the following courses:

• HEL-8010 Research Ethics and Theory of Science 3 stp

Teaching runs as an intensive course over two weeks in February with 20 hours of lectures and 12 hours of group discussions and seminars. 2-3 weeks after the course there will be a follow-up seminar for students to present, discuss and get feedback on their chosen essay topics.

NB! You have to participate in at least 80 % of the teaching to be allowed to take the exam. Attendence at lectures will be registered.

Language of instruction and examination