E X A M P R E PA R AT I O N D E C K
Philosophy of Science
Samir Okasha — A Very Short Introduction (2nd edition, 2016)
Part I — Okasha, chapter by chapter · Part II — the course readings: McGrath 2014, Owens 2011, Pfeffer & Sutton 2006
Klejdi Filaj · Pre-master Philosophy of Science · Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University
,OVERVIEW
The book in seven chapters — and the three readings
1 What is science? 2 Scientific inference 3 Explanation in science
Scientific revolution; philosophy of science; Popper's Deduction vs induction; Hume; IBE; causal inference Hempel's covering law model; flagpole & pills;
falsifiability and its failure and RCTs; Bayesian updating causality; reduction
Scientific change and
4 Realism and anti-realism 5 6 Physics, biology, psychology
revolutions
No-miracles; observable/unobservable; Positivism; Kuhn: paradigms, incommensurability, Newton vs Leibniz on space; what is a species?; Fodor
underdetermination theory-ladenness and massive modularity
7 Science and its critics Part I (Okasha): Chapters 2–5 = general philosophy of science; Chapter 6 = the special sciences;
Chapters 1 and 7 frame the whole. Part II: the three course readings — McGrath on the history of
Scientism; intelligent design; value-freedom: management, Owens on critical realism, Pfeffer & Sutton on evidence-based management — each tied
evolutionary psychology and psychiatry
back to these chapters.
,CHAPTER 1
What is science?
Is there a common feature that makes something a science? Can science be demarcated from pseudo-science? The
chapter answers via the history of the scientific revolution and Popper's falsifiability criterion.
1
, C H A P T ER 1 · WH AT I S S C I ENC E ?
Why 'what is science?' is harder than it looks
Listing physics, chemistry and biology is not an answer. The philosopher asks what common feature everything on the list shares.
Candidate 1: 'the attempt to understand, Candidate 2: distinctive methods — Candidate 3: theory construction
explain and predict the world' experiment
Too broad. Plausible, but incomplete. Important — not a definition.
• Religion also tries to understand and explain • Experiment marks a turning-point in modern • Scientists explain results by a general theory, not
• Astrology, fortune-telling try to predict science a log-book
• But astronomers cannot experiment on the • Key task of philosophy of science: how
• History explains the past — but is an arts subject
heavens experiment, observation and theory have
• Many social sciences rely on observation 'unravelled so many of nature's secrets'
Okasha's later verdict (end of chapter): science may have no 'essential nature' — cf. Wittgenstein on 'game'.
Philosophy of Science
Samir Okasha — A Very Short Introduction (2nd edition, 2016)
Part I — Okasha, chapter by chapter · Part II — the course readings: McGrath 2014, Owens 2011, Pfeffer & Sutton 2006
Klejdi Filaj · Pre-master Philosophy of Science · Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University
,OVERVIEW
The book in seven chapters — and the three readings
1 What is science? 2 Scientific inference 3 Explanation in science
Scientific revolution; philosophy of science; Popper's Deduction vs induction; Hume; IBE; causal inference Hempel's covering law model; flagpole & pills;
falsifiability and its failure and RCTs; Bayesian updating causality; reduction
Scientific change and
4 Realism and anti-realism 5 6 Physics, biology, psychology
revolutions
No-miracles; observable/unobservable; Positivism; Kuhn: paradigms, incommensurability, Newton vs Leibniz on space; what is a species?; Fodor
underdetermination theory-ladenness and massive modularity
7 Science and its critics Part I (Okasha): Chapters 2–5 = general philosophy of science; Chapter 6 = the special sciences;
Chapters 1 and 7 frame the whole. Part II: the three course readings — McGrath on the history of
Scientism; intelligent design; value-freedom: management, Owens on critical realism, Pfeffer & Sutton on evidence-based management — each tied
evolutionary psychology and psychiatry
back to these chapters.
,CHAPTER 1
What is science?
Is there a common feature that makes something a science? Can science be demarcated from pseudo-science? The
chapter answers via the history of the scientific revolution and Popper's falsifiability criterion.
1
, C H A P T ER 1 · WH AT I S S C I ENC E ?
Why 'what is science?' is harder than it looks
Listing physics, chemistry and biology is not an answer. The philosopher asks what common feature everything on the list shares.
Candidate 1: 'the attempt to understand, Candidate 2: distinctive methods — Candidate 3: theory construction
explain and predict the world' experiment
Too broad. Plausible, but incomplete. Important — not a definition.
• Religion also tries to understand and explain • Experiment marks a turning-point in modern • Scientists explain results by a general theory, not
• Astrology, fortune-telling try to predict science a log-book
• But astronomers cannot experiment on the • Key task of philosophy of science: how
• History explains the past — but is an arts subject
heavens experiment, observation and theory have
• Many social sciences rely on observation 'unravelled so many of nature's secrets'
Okasha's later verdict (end of chapter): science may have no 'essential nature' — cf. Wittgenstein on 'game'.
