SCE5030 The Nature of Science
In thinking about the nature of science, we might raise such questions as: How is science done? Why is science done? Who gets to practice science? Does it matter who is doing it? Does nature have anything to say on its own behalf? Or is it constructed and negotiated by scientists? What is the relationship among science, technology and society? In this course, we will explore these questions through contemporary ideas in the history, philosophy, and social studies of science. Candidates taking this course will learn about the historical and cultural development of science and the evolution of knowledge in their discipline. They will develop understandings of the philosophical tenets, assumptions, goals and values that distinguish science and technology from other ways of knowing and they will engage in the critical analysis of false or doubtful assertions made in the name of science.