2020/2021

2021/2022

DM270

M-FIL/05 (FILOSOFIA E TEORIA DEI LINGUAGGI)

DIPARTIMENTO DI SCIENZE DEL SISTEMA NERVOSO E DEL COMPORTAMENTO

PSYCHOLOGY, NEUROSCIENCE AND HUMAN SCIENCES

PERCORSO COMUNE

2°

Primo Semestre (04/10/2021 - 21/12/2021)

6

36 ore di attività frontale

INGLESE

SCRITTO E ORALE CONGIUNTI

SERENI ANDREA (titolare) - 3 CFU
TOMASETTA ALFREDO - 3 CFU

There are no formal prerequisites for this class. The class is designed so as to be accessible to students with no background in either philosophy or logic. A mild familiarity with basic logic, however, while not necessary, can be helpful.

After taking this course, the student should be able to identify and analyse some key problems in epistemology, (in)formal logic and philosophy of science, and to develop basic skills of philosophical analysis and argumentation.

The course is ideally comprised of three – strongly connected – parts.

An introduction to epistemology, viewed as the theory of knowledge and cognate notions such as justification and evidence. Some basic problems concerning knowledge gained through reasoning and its relations with scientific methodology will also be discussed.

A brief overview of the essential questions concerning formal and informal reasoning, to the extent that they are required in the topics in epistemology and philosophy of science to be dealt with during the course [NB: Such and related issues will then be further explored in the associated PCL: Critical Thinking: from Logical Fallacies to Correct Reasoning (Instructor: Maria Paola Sforza Fogliani)]

An introduction to the main problems in the philosophy of science. These include the demarcation problem – how to distinguish between science and non-science –, the nature of scientific explanations, and the question of scientific revolutions. Some philosophical problems raised by ‘special sciences’ such as biology and (neuro)cognitive science will also be considered.

Frontal lectures will be accompanied by group discussions and class exercises.

Pritchard, D. 2006. What is this thing called knowledge?, Routledge.

Okasha, S. 2016. Philosophy of Science, Oxford University Press, (2nd Edition).

Ladyman, J. 2014. Understanding Philosophy of Science, Routledge,

Bowell, T. & Kemp, G. 2015. Critical Thinking. A Concise Guide, Routledge.

Selected papers on the issues dealt with and/or instructors’ lecture slides

Written and oral exams

Lecture slides will be downloadable from the dedicated website.