History and Philosophy Of Science | Science, Truth and Values
X100 | 3047 | K. Ekholm
The aim of the course is to explore the interaction between
scientific practice and values. We will begin by looking at the
devlopment of traditional scientific methods and examine scientists'
attempts to apply logical principles in order to find some objective
truth about the world. We will discuss whether and to what extent
objectivity is attainable, and consider some opposition to the view
that through science we are progressively closer to grasping the
truth about reality. During the final third of the semester we will
read historical studies of scientists who believed that values
influence scientific pursuits and those who opposed them by
maintaining that science is value-free.