Science, Philosophy and Society (HPSC10002)

What is science? What makes knowledge ‘scientific’? And what roles does scientific knowledge have in our society? This subject discusses the nature of science and its function in the modern world. We rely on the results of scientific research, but we also face controversies about the legitimacy of statements made with the claim of scientific expertise, for example, whether climate change can be attributed to human activities, and whether vaccines can cause autism. We will study how philosophers of science have characterised the nature of science and how they attempted to demarcate it from other forms of human activity. We will look at the way science is demarcated in practice, by scientists themselves and by the public. We will look at various case studies ranging from string theory and psychology to acupuncture and climate change scepticism. The subject will introduce students to current approaches in philosophy and sociology of science in order to gain a better understanding of how science operates.