Science, Truth, and Values
TR
9:30 a.m.-10:45 a.m.
Karin Ekholm


The overall goal of the course is to provide students the
opportunity to explore the interaction between scientific practice
and values.  We will begin with the traditional interpretation of
science, whereby scientists apply logical and mathematical
principles in order to attain some objective truth about physical
reality.  The rest of the semester will be dedicated to an
examination of whether and to what extent this account is accurate.
To this end, we will look at historical case studies that support
the traditional account of science as well as those (most notably,
Kuhn’s) that challenge the view that science is getting us closer
and closer to some truth in the world.  Questions to be addressed
include: If we interpret science as fundamentally sociological, can
we differentiate science from religion?  What features can be used
to demarcate science from other fields in the humanities?  Do the
personal biases and prejudices of individual scientists determine
the course of scientific progress and
the development of theories?