PhD Course in Philosophy of Science (DUH102)

• Objectivity and the role of values in the human sciences.
• Understanding (interpretation) versus explanation.
• Holism versus methodological individualism.

Knowledge

The student will gain knowledge of:

• The philosophical foundations for different theoretical research approaches in the social sciences and the humanities.

Skills

By the end of the course, the student will be able to:

• Use conceptual and theoretical tools in her/his own argumentation.
• Facilitate critical reflection and argumentation upon presuppositions that may easily be taken for granted in their own research tradition, or in science as a whole.

General competence

By the end of the course, the student will be able to:

• Demonstrate competence in analytical discussion and well-structured academic argumentation.
• Relate discipline-specific topics to the foundational debate within the disciplines.
• Relate discipline-specific topics to general reflections and concepts (like the ones discussed in the seminars) of philosophy of science.

Course teacher(s)

Course teacher:

Course coordinator:

Course teacher:

Study Program Director:

Course teacher:

The course will be held as five seminars.

A detailed timetable will be sent to the course participants at the beginning of the course-semester.

Book

Philosophy of social science : a new introduction Cartwright, N., Montuschi, E. (eds.), Oxford, Oxford University Press, X, 330 s., 2014, isbn:978-0-19-964509-1; 978-0-19-964510-7, Chapter 1-4, 6-9 and 12-15. The textbook can be bought at the bookstore at campus.

Book Chapter

What is a Social Fact? Émile Durkheim, Lukes, Steven; Halls, W. D., What is a Social Fact?, New York, Free Press, xlii, 229 s., 1982, 50-59,

Website

The Philosophy of Social Science. Gorton, W.A., Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 2010, https://www.iep.utm.edu/soc-sci/View online

Book Chapter

What is Social Construction? The Teenage Pregnancy Example. Hacking, I., What is Social Construction? The Teenage Pregnancy Example., Maidenhead, Open University Press, XII, 481 s., 2003, 421-427, isbn:0335208843; 0335208851; 9780335208845; 9780335208852,

Book Chapter

Mechanism Elster, J., Elster, J., Mechanism, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, VIII, 184 s., 1989, 3-10, isbn:0521376068; 0521374553,

Reference Entry

Causation, Philosophical Views of Williamson, J. & McKay, P.I., Thousand Oaks, California :, SAGE Publications, 2013, 67-70, isbn:1-4522-7605-6; 1-4522-7604-8; 1-78402-465-1, https://bibsys-ur.userservices.exlibrisgroup.com/view/uresolver/47BIBSYS_UBIS/openurl?ctx_enc=info:ofi/enc:UTF-8&ctx_id=10_1&ctx_tim=2019-11-28T09:12:50IST&ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&url_ctx_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:ctx&url_ver=Z39.88-2004&rfr_id=info:sid/primo.exlibrisgroup.com-BIBSYS_ILS&req_id=&rft_dat=ie=47BIBSYS_DIAKON:5110246950002247,ie=47BIBSYS_UBIS:5160598660002208,ie=47BIBSYS_UBA:5179218130002209,ie=47BIBSYS_UBO:51188836020002204,ie=47BIBSYS_NMH:5113653780002309,ie=47BIBSYS_NTNU_UB:51190482760002203,ie=47BIBSYS_NMBU:5128617200002213,ie=47BIBSYS_NLA:5125888720002228,ie=47BIBSYS_MF:5118733640002227,ie=47BIBSYS_MH:5115131000002296,ie=47BIBSYS_FHS:5120593920002275,ie=47BIBSYS_NETWORK:71520496750002201,language=eng,view=UBIS&svc_dat=viewit&u.ignore_date_coverage=true&user_ip=10.16.56.140&req.skin=primoView online

Reference Entry

Methodological Holism in the Social Sciences Zahle, J., Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 2016, https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/holism-social/View online

Article

The Debate about Quantitative and Qualitative Research: A Question of Method or Epistemology? Bryman, A., Routledge and Kegan Paul Ltd. For the London School of Economics, 75-92, The British Journal of Sociology, 1, 35, 1984, p. 75-92, https://bibsys-ur.userservices.exlibrisgroup.com/view/uresolver/47BIBSYS_UBIS/openurl?ctx_enc=info:ofi/enc:UTF-8&ctx_id=10_1&ctx_tim=2019-11-27T15:39:18IST&ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&url_ctx_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:ctx&url_ver=Z39.88-2004&rfr_id=info:sid/primo.exlibrisgroup.com-jstor_archive_2&req_id=&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:journal&rft.genre=article&rft.atitle=The%20Debate%20about%20Quantitative%20and%20Qualitative%20Research:%20A%20Question%20of%20Method%20or%20Epistemology?&rft.jtitle=The%20British%20Journal%20of%20Sociology&rft.btitle=&rft.aulast=Bryman&rft.auinit=&rft.auinit1=&rft.auinitm=&rft.ausuffix=&rft.au=Bryman,%20Alan&rft.aucorp=&rft.date=1984-03-01&rft.volume=35&rft.issue=1&rft.part=&rft.quarter=&rft.ssn=&rft.spage=75&rft.epage=92&rft.pages=75-92&rft.artnum=&rft.issn=00071315&rft.eissn=14684446&rft.isbn=&rft.sici=&rft.coden=&rft_id=info:doi/10.2307/590553&rft.object_id=&rft.eisbn=&rft.edition=&rft.pub=Routledge%20and%20Kegan%20Paul%20Ltd.%20For%20the%20London%20School%20of%20Economics&rft.place=&rft.series=&rft.stitle=&rft.bici=&rft_id=info:bibcode/&rft_id=info:hdl/&rft_id=info:lccn/&rft_id=info:oclcnum/&rft_id=info:pmid/&rft_id=info:eric/((addata/eric}}&rft_dat=%3cjstor_archive_2%3e10.2307/590553%3c/jstor_archive_2%3e%3curl%3e%3c/url%3e,language=eng,view=UBIS&svc_dat=viewit&user_ip=10.16.56.140&req.skin=primo&rft_pqid=36750645&rft_galeid=&rft_cupid=&rft_eruid=&rft_nurid=&rft_ingid=View online

Book Chapter

Must We Assume Others are Rational? Fay, B., Fay, B., Must We Assume Others are Rational?, Oxford, Blackwell, XI, 266 s., 1996, 92-111, isbn:9781557865380; 9781557865373; 1557865388; 155786537X,

Book Chapter

Must We Comprehend Others in Their Own Terms? Fay, B., Fay, B., Must We Comprehend Others in Their Own Terms?, Oxford, Blackwell, XI, 266 s., 1996, 112-135, isbn:9781557865380; 9781557865373; 1557865388; 155786537X,