PH0285 Problems of Empiricism

Faculty of Arts
Spring 2012
Extent and Intensity
1/1/0. 3 credit(s). Type of Completion: k (colloquium).
Teacher(s)
Ing. Mgr. Zdeňka Jastrzembská, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
prof. PhDr. Josef Krob, CSc.
Department of Philosophy – Faculty of Arts
Contact Person: Hana Holmanová
Supplier department: Department of Philosophy – Faculty of Arts
Timetable
each odd Tuesday 14:10–15:45 J22
Prerequisites (in Czech)
PH_PoZ Qualifying Exam. in Phil. || PHK_PoZ Qualifying Exam. in Phil. || PROGRAM(N-PH) || PROGRAM(N-HS) || PROGRAM(N-SS)
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 30 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 0/30, only registered: 0/30, only registered with preference (fields directly associated with the programme): 0/30
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
there are 11 fields of study the course is directly associated with, display
Course objectives
The course will focus on problems stemming from empirical emphasis on observation as the only reliable source of knowledge. Its major goals are: to present the discussions in their historical development, disclose motives and define basic differences between particular solutions offered, assess their overall importance and point out their influence on contemporary philosophical debates. After completing the course the students will have the following competences: - know the basic problems of empiricism - understand the relevant discussions in their historical context - will be able to explain fundamental differences between particular solutions and assess their relative importance.
Syllabus
  • 1. Empiricism and the emergence of modern science 2. Search for reliable foundations of knowledge (Galilei, Locke, Berkeley) 3. Hume, Mach and logical positivism (linguistic turn) 4. Problem of interpretation of scientific theories (realism, constructivism, instrumentalism) 5. Discussion on unobservable entities (Carnap, Smart, Maxwell) 6. Dogmas of empiricism (Quine, Salmon) 7. Turn to realism (Sellars, Putnam) 8. Turn to history (Kuhn, Hacking, Feyerabend) 9. Contemporary debates
Literature
  • SCHLICK, Moritz. Logický pozitivizmus. Edited by František Mihina, Translated by Tatiana Sedová - Marián Zouhar. Vyd. 1. Bratislava: Iris, 2006, 537 s. ISBN 8089238068. info
  • QUINE, W. V. Z logického hľadiska. Edited by Richard Cedzo. Bratislava: Kalligram, 2005, 253 s. ISBN 8071497843. info
  • RUSSELL, Bertrand. Filozofia logického atomizmu. Edited by Marián Zouhar. 1. vyd. Bratislava: Kalligram, 2004, 161 s. ISBN 8071497088. info
  • HUME, David. Zkoumání o lidském rozumu. Vyd. v tomto překl. 1. Praha: Svoboda, 1996, 235 s. ISBN 8020505210. info
  • LOCKE, John. Esej o lidském rozumu. Praha: Svoboda, 1984. info
  • Filosofie vědy. Edited by Oldřich Procházka - Vladimír Zeman, Translated by Ivan Kuchár. Vyd. 1. Praha: Svoboda, 1968, 364 s. URL info
  • BERKELEY, George. Pojednání o základech lidského poznání : kde se zkoumají hlavní příčiny omylu a nesnází ve vědách, spolu s důvody skepticismu, atheismu a bezbožnosti. Translated by Jan Brdíčko. V Praze: Jan Laichter, 1938, 123 s. info
Teaching methods
lectures, reading, class discussion
Assessment methods
oral exam
Language of instruction
Czech
The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2010, Spring 2011.
  • Enrolment Statistics (recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/phil/spring2012/PH0285