Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
Alexander Gillett
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Credit points |
Credit points
3
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Prerequisites |
Prerequisites
(12cp at 100 level or above) or admission to GDipArts
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Corequisites |
Corequisites
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Co-badged status |
Co-badged status
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Unit description |
Unit description
How does science work? Should scientific methods be privileged over other ways of knowing? Is the history of science an unfolding tale of intellectual and technological progress, or is it a messier process? This unit introduces central issues in the philosophy of science. We will discuss scientific revolutions, and whether they should be understood as fully rational. We will ask whether science describes the world as it “really is”. We will also consider challenges to science from sociology of science, feminism, and science studies. Is science really value-free? Should we want it to be? This unit presumes no particular background in science – it is suitable for students with a background in arts disciplines as well as for students in the social, behavioural, biological, and physical sciences.
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Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
Unless a Disruption to Studies request has been submitted and approved, (a) a penalty for lateness will apply – two (2) marks out of 100 will be deducted per day for assignments submitted after the due date – and (b) no assignment will be accepted seven (7) days (incl. weekends) after the original submission deadline. No late submissions will be accepted for timed assessments – e.g. quizzes, online tests.
Name | Weighting | Hurdle | Due |
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Participation | 15% | No | Weekly |
Discussion Guides | 15% | No | Weeks 2-7, 8-10, 12-13 |
Quizzes | 30% | No | 12/9/19 and 7/9/19 |
Essay Plan | 10% | No | 22/10/19 |
Research Essay | 30% | No | 14/11/19 |
Due: Weekly
Weighting: 15%
Participation in online discussion forums develops your skills in communication, collaboration, and awareness of diversity.
Active involvement in the online discussion is especially important and includes discussion of material, debate, presenting and defending your own arguments, collaborating in philosophical analysis, giving and receiving feedback on ideas and comments, explaining and clarifying ideas, practising of technical philosophical skills, and more. The more prepared you are, the more you participate in these activities, the more likely you will do well in other assessments. No marks are earned for simply turning up - the way to do well is to prepare in advance and take part in discussion. For external students, participation marks will be based on participation in seminars. Your participating in the weekly forum in the week in which the seminar takes place. Both writing your own posts and responding to at least one other student. Participation after this weekly stage is assessed but is only counted towards your final score to a lesser extent.
Due: Weeks 2-7, 8-10, 12-13
Weighting: 15%
The ability to engage with philosophical arguments and scientific findings is crucial. This assessment task requires you to hand in a short written piece of writing each week (weeks 2-7, 8-10, 12-13) based on that week's readings. This is roughly one or more pages A4 which briefly summarises what each reading was about, and raises a question or point of reflection. These will be handed in by the end of that week's seminar in the online forum. This assessment task is designed to help you focus on completing that week's readings and scaffolding your involvement in the following forum discussions.
Due: 12/9/19 and 7/9/19
Weighting: 30%
Two online quizzes will test students on the core concepts taught on the course. Multiple choice questions will cover material discussed in the weekly readings. Each quiz is worth 15% and relates to the two halves of the course: the first quiz covers weeks 2-7; and the second quiz covers weeks 8-13. Marks are determined by the accuracy of the student's responses to the quiz questions.
Due: 22/10/19
Weighting: 10%
Prior to the research essay, students will submit an essay plan of their intended chosen question for the research essay. The choice of question topics relates to all weeks of the course. You will write a 500 word short document outlining how the argument would be structured. With a clear introduction, key points of the main body of the argument, a conclusion which discusses the implications, reservations and importance of the argument, and a references cited list (the reference list will not count towards the word count total).
Your essay plan should be submitted online via Turnitin. Your essay plan will be assessed based on clarity of argument, understanding, structure, and research. Brief feedback will be given to aid in the writing of the final essay.
Due: 14/11/19
Weighting: 30%
Students will write a 2500 word essay on one of the topics discussed during the the course. This essay must demonstrate research of the topic beyond the mandatory readings. Each week is accompanied by a recommended further reading list to aid with this. Your essay should be submitted online via Turnitin. Your essay will be assessed based on clarity of exposition, understanding, argumentation, and research. A rubric and detailed instructions for the essay will be made available and assessment criteria discussed in seminars.
There will be core texts to read for each week of the course. It is mandatory that these be read as the weekly seminar is based on these. You will also be required to submit weekly discussion guides relating to these readings at the end of each seminar. The weekly readings are directly available via the ilearn. It is also recommended that students get a copy of Peter Godfrey-Smith's (2003) Theory and Reality. Suggestions for optional and further readings will be indicated on the ilearn in each week, but it is up to students to obtain these themselves using online databases and the library services. These will be useful for the research essay.
We use an iLearn website, and the Echo360 lecture recordings. Any other material you need will be available through the iLearn website. We recommend you have access to a reliable internet connection throughout the semester.
Essay assignments in this course will be submitted electronically, as word documents. There is no need for a coversheet - the iLearn assignment submission (Turnitin) involves declaring your details and honesty in submitting your work. Please note, we do not accept submission by email attachment.
Weekly discussion guides are to be submitted to the course convenor at the end of the seminar as part of your attendance and are not to be handed in at any other time unless otherwise arranged.
Weekly topic | Synopsis | Date |
1. Introduction | Provides an introduction to the course, an outline of the assessment structure, and an overview of the following weekly topics and dominant themes. | 1/8 |
2. Logical Empiricism | Logical empiricism is a set of dominant ideas at the beginning of the last century which shaped much of the development of philosophy of science. Much of the subsequent week's discussions can be seen as responding to the issues with this position. | 8/8 |
3. The Problem of Induction | Induction is a core aspect of the 'scientific method' and yet there is a set of troubling philosophical puzzles surrounding this notion. We begin with how this problem was first identified by Hume and how it has been elaborated upon by more recent philosophers. | 15/8 |
4. Popper and Falsification | Perhaps the most famous response to the problem of induction comes from the work of Sir Karl Popper and his emphasis on falsification as demarcating science from pseudo-science and non-scientific inquiry. | 22/8 |
5. Kuhn and Theory Change | Another major problem is the issue of theory change. Kuhn's The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, one of the most famous texts of the last century, argued that social processes (not just pure rationality) are crucial for understanding how communities undergo 'paradigm shifts'. | 29/8 |
6. After Kuhn: Lakatos, Laudan, Feyerabend | A number of philosophers responded to Kuhn's work. This week we examine Lakatos' emphasis on 'research programmes' and compare it to Feyerabend's (in)famous claim that "anything goes". | 5/9 |
7. Feminist approaches and social studies | Several branches of philosophy of science have emphasised the political aspects of scientific work - especially feminist epistemology. This week we discuss the notion of whether science is 'value neutral' and varying aspects of social constructivism. | 12/9 |
8. Naturalism and Social Structure of Science | After the mid-term break we turn to bringing together these various themes to explore the division of cognitive labour in scientific communities. | 3/10 |
9. Interdisciplinarity, collaboration, and the Trading Zone | Science is becoming increasingly specialised into an ever-growing number of sub-fields. This has raised questions about how to conduct interdisciplinary research in an effective manner. | 10/10 |
10. Non-Western Philosophy | Approaches to scientific endeavour have been developed in many philosophical traditions. This week we will be joined by a guest speaker, Philip Martin, to discuss non-western philosophical themes in scientific epistemology and intercultural dimensions of the development of modern science. | 17/10 |
11. Essay writing week | No seminar this week. Essay Plan due | n/a |
12. Models, experiments, instruments | A growing area of research in philosophy of science surrounds questions about scientific models: what are they? how do they represent the world? what role do they play in scientific theorising? Similar questions have also arisen around experiments and other scientific instruments. | 31/10 |
13. Distributed cognition | Continuing on from the previous week, we conclude the course by exploring the more radical claim that models, experiments, notation, and instruments, etc. are not just specialised epistemic tools but are themselves actually part of the cognitive processes of working scientists. | 7/11 |
Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policy-central). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:
Undergraduate students seeking more policy resources can visit the Student Policy Gateway (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/student-policy-gateway). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.
If you would like to see all the policies relevant to Learning and Teaching visit Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policy-central).
Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/study/getting-started/student-conduct
Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au
Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/
Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to improve your marks and take control of your study.
Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.
For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au
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When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.
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This graduate capability is supported by:
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As local citizens our graduates will be aware of indigenous perspectives and of the nation's historical context. They will be engaged with the challenges of contemporary society and with knowledge and ideas. We want our graduates to have respect for diversity, to be open-minded, sensitive to others and inclusive, and to be open to other cultures and perspectives: they should have a level of cultural literacy. Our graduates should be aware of disadvantage and social justice, and be willing to participate to help create a wiser and better society.
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