PHIL 452: Philosophy of Science
The Generic Catalog Description

Topics treated under this heading vary. The course may deal with theories of inference, of theroretical explanation, or of observation with more specialized topics such as confirmation theory, the problems of a logic of discovery, or the relation between history and philosophy of science.

PHIL 452: Philosophy of Science
Paul Mueller, S.J.

This will be a graduate level introduction to philosophy of science.  Our point of departure will be Susan Haack’s Defending Science – Within Reason. Between Scientism and  Cynicism and John Losee’s A Historical Introduction to the Philosophy of Science.  We’ll use Haack to raise the questions, and Losee to provide some basic historical perspective. We'll follow-up by reading extensively from other authors.  The topics we'll treat will include questions of evidence, method, explanation, realism, the sociology of science, scientism, and the “science wars.”