V007 Philosophy of Science I

Faculty of Informatics
Autumn 2001
Extent and Intensity
2/0. 2 credit(s) (plus extra credits for completion). Recommended Type of Completion: z (credit). Other types of completion: k (colloquium).
Teacher(s)
prof. PhDr. Ing. Miloslav Dokulil, DrSc. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
prof. PhDr. Karel Pala, CSc.
Department of Machine Learning and Data Processing – Faculty of Informatics
Contact Person: prof. PhDr. Ing. Miloslav Dokulil, DrSc.
Timetable
Wed 11:00–12:50 B204
Prerequisites
The course presupposes being interested in general problems of science. It is recommended to follow by Philosophy of Science II.
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
The capacity limit for the course is 55 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 0/55, only registered: 0/55, only registered with preference (fields directly associated with the programme): 0/55
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
The course introduces into the basic problems of science as a specific activity of man. It traces the relationship of induction and deduction, the category of quantity and the principle of causality, and the criteria of verification within the range of the beginning of 17-th till the threshold of 20-th centuries. Simultaneously, it expresses astonishment over both the steadily faster development and quality, and unexpected applications of science.
Syllabus
  • Introduction: "Time boundaries" in general.
  • Birth of science as a modern phenomenon, its problems, methods and criteria. Presuppositions to a "paradigmatically" new perspective to the world and human tradition.
  • The geocentric problem as a confrontation of sensual absurdity with the necessity of adequately describing it and thus enabling its prediction. (From scholastic solutions to a definite break with the Aristotelian tradition.) P> From sublunar steps to the first big jump into the supralunar world.
  • What, and how, is reality? Is its adequate clue empirism, or rationalism?
  • Encyclopedia as a product of Enlightenment.
  • Hume's skepsis over causality. Laws and probability.
  • Physiocratism as a projection of an "harmonic order", at the same time as a first model application in economics.
  • The positivist experiment in trying to change the world by the force of ideas. The initial variants of physicalism.
  • Problem of humanities at the end of 19-th century. (Is it possible to apply the natural-science criteria in humanities?)
  • "Rationally" fighting "fiction", or does the invisible exist?
  • Einstein's shade.
  • An awkward look back and forward on the threshold of the third millennium.
  • The beginning of the philosophy of science.
Language of instruction
Czech
Follow-Up Courses
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
The course is taught annually.
The course is also listed under the following terms Autumn 1995, Autumn 1996, Autumn 1997, Autumn 1998, Autumn 1999, Autumn 2000.
  • Enrolment Statistics (recent)
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