EPISTEMOLOGY, LOGIC AND INFORMAL REASONING
Stampa
Enrollment year
2020/2021
Academic year
2021/2022
Regulations
DM270
Academic discipline
M-FIL/05 (PHILOSOPHY AND THEORY OF LANGUAGE)
Department
DEPARTMENT OF BRAIN AND BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES
Course
PSYCHOLOGY, NEUROSCIENCE AND HUMAN SCIENCES
Curriculum
PERCORSO COMUNE
Year of study
Period
1st semester (04/10/2021 - 21/12/2021)
ECTS
6
Lesson hours
36 lesson hours
Language
English
Activity type
WRITTEN AND ORAL TEST
Teacher
SERENI ANDREA (titolare) - 3 ECTS
TOMASETTA ALFREDO - 3 ECTS
Prerequisites
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.
Learning outcomes
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.
Course contents
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.
Teaching methods
Frontal lectures will be accompanied by group discussions and class exercises.
Reccomended or required readings
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
Assessment methods
Written and oral exams
Further information
Lecture slides will be downloadable from the dedicated website.
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