Philosophy of Science and Technology

Key Features

In this lecture, I deal with essential questions about science and technology. By using familiar examples from our society, I try to relate essential questions and familiar examples in a meaningful way. I also try to make sure that students are not passive listeners, but active participants who think, write, and speak for themselves.

Course Aims

While their influence on our society is huge, modern and highly complicated science and technology are difficult to properly understand and evaluate unless one is a specialist. In this course, we aim to think deeply about and discuss science and technology, understand their essence, and train to improve our ability to evaluate their influence upon us.

Course Content

1. What is science?: We will think about and discuss the characteristics that make science what it is, and about what scientific practice is or should be.

2. Science, technology and ethics: We will think about and discuss what social responsibility scientists have and where the basis for that is.

3. Science, technology and society: We will think about and discuss how science and technology influence the state of society and individuals, by using concrete examples.

Textbook

None.

Reference book

Instructions will be given as appropriate.

Prerequisites

Eagerness to actively participate in discussions.

Grading

There will be several quizzes during classes. There will also be a report at the end of the semester. If you do not submit more than half of the quizzes, or do not submit the final report, you will be considered ABSENT. It is possible to drop the course.

Assignments

There may be assignments such as reading and gathering information as preparation for class.

---