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2005/06 Undergraduate Module Catalogue

HPSC2201 Progress and Revolutions in Science

20 creditsClass Size: 100

Module manager: Steven French

Taught: Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) View Timetable

Year running 2005/06

Pre-requisites

Either HPSC1200 How Science Works or PHIL1010 Reason and Argument and PHIL1400 Introduction to Theoretical Philosophy

This module is mutually exclusive with

HPSC2320 Progress and Revolutions in Science

Module replaces

HPSC2320 Progress and Revolutions in Science

This module is approved as an Elective

Objectives

On completion of this module students should be able to describe and critically assess:

a) 'cumulative' accounts of scientific progress in general;
b) Kuhn's analysis of the structure of scientific revolutions;
c) responses to Kuhn's analysis and further developments;
d) alternative accounts of scientific progress.

Syllabus

i) The Cumulative View of Scientific Progress
The notion of progress in general; the General Correspondence Principle.

ii) The Structure of Scientific Revolutions
The nature of 'normal' science; the nature and role of 'paradigms'; the structure of scientific revolutions; incommensurability, natural kinds and 'different worlds'.

iii) Accomodating Revolutions I
Lakatos and the 'Methodology of Scientific Research Programmes'; hard cores and heuristics; Feyerabend's critique; Laudan's 'Reticulated Model'; the inter-relationships between aims, methodology and theories; Worrall's critique.

iv) Accomodating Revolutions II
Incommensurability and meaning; the causal theory of reference; progress, revolutions and realism.

Teaching methods

Lectures: 16 x 1 hour;


Tutorials: 4 x 1 hour.

Private study

6 hours reading and preparing per lecture: 96 hours;
6 hours reading and preparing per tutorial: 24 hours;
Essay preparation: 30 hours;
Exam revision: 30 hours.

Opportunities for Formative Feedback

1 x 1500 word essay to be submitted mid-semester and returned with comments.

Methods of assessment

1 x 2000 word essay (50%);
1 x 2 hour exam at end of semester (50%).

Reading list

The reading list is available from the Library website

Last updated: 20/09/2006

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