PHI 356 - Philosophy of Science: Science and Knowledge of Reality (1)

Science is often regarded as our most successful effort at explaining reality, providing knowledge of the history of the universe and of Earth, of the nature of living things and their features, of the physical-chemical nature of matter. We will consider how is such knowledge is possible, how scientific theorizing is supported, whether science provides objective truths or theories biased by the perspectives of its practitioners, whether the history of past discarded scientific theories gives us reason to be skeptical of current science, how different sciences are related to each other and to other possible sources of knowledge (history or literature, religion or extrasensory perception), how the authority of science as a source of knowledge about the world be maintained against the onslaught of skepticism from creationists, anti-vaxxers, climate change deniers and so on. Prerequisite: sophomore standing. Alternate years.
(Humanities)