80-220 Philosophy of Science

9 units, Carnegie Mellon University

In this course, we will examine some historical case studies e.g., the Copernican revolution in astronomy against which we will assess views pertaining to the significance, justification, and production of scientific knowledge. For example, should scientific theories be understood literally or as computational devices for deriving new predictions How can universal conclusions ever be justified by a finite data set Does explanation contribute to a theorys confirmation by the evidence Does science aim to find the truth Is probability in the world or only in our minds Is explanation a matter of finding causes or are causes whatever it is that explains Is scientific rationality objective or culturerelative

Prerequisites: none listed

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