2023
History and Philosophy of Science
Name: History and Philosophy of Science
Code: HIS14151L
6 ECTS
Duration: 15 weeks/156 hours
Scientific Area:
History
Teaching languages: Portuguese
Languages of tutoring support: Portuguese
Presentation
The method, nature and evolution of the sciences, scientific creativity and their epochal specificity are studied, using the works of important philosophers of science and the historical analysis of crucial moments, from the great scientific revolution to the current techno-scientific complex.
Sustainable Development Goals
Learning Goals
To understand the historical & social dimension of the sciences, understanding the path that led to the current techno-scientific domain of modern life, to the Anthropocene. To learn how this area can be applied to secondary education, improving the understanding of contemporary concepts.
To reflect on the method, nature and development of scientific practice, on scientific creativity and its epochal specificity, understanding philosophy as fundamental in the evolution of scientific ideas.To study decisive authors such as Aristotle, Descartes, Kant, Helmholtz, Whewell, Mach, Duhem, Poincaré, Popper, Kuhn, O. Darrigol, H. Martins.
To know & analyze crucial moments in scientific development, such as the transition from the Aristotelian worldview to that of the great scientific revolution, the predominance and overcoming of the mechanistic paradigm, Lavoisier's contribution, biological transformation, the periodic table, the quanta revolution and relativity, the current techno-scientific.
To reflect on the method, nature and development of scientific practice, on scientific creativity and its epochal specificity, understanding philosophy as fundamental in the evolution of scientific ideas.To study decisive authors such as Aristotle, Descartes, Kant, Helmholtz, Whewell, Mach, Duhem, Poincaré, Popper, Kuhn, O. Darrigol, H. Martins.
To know & analyze crucial moments in scientific development, such as the transition from the Aristotelian worldview to that of the great scientific revolution, the predominance and overcoming of the mechanistic paradigm, Lavoisier's contribution, biological transformation, the periodic table, the quanta revolution and relativity, the current techno-scientific.
Contents
The plurality of approaches in the history and philosophy of the sciences, and its interest to teaching science. The aristotelian Cosmovision. The portuguese navigations and the preconditions of the Scientific Revolution. The Scientific Revolution - from Copernicus to Newton. Lavoisier and Chemistry. The Laplacian Cosmovision and the essor of Thermodynamics and statistical mechanics. The biological transformism and its implications to the view of mankind. The construction of the periodic table. Quanta and relativity and its philosophical implications. Kant and the theory of knowledge. Whewell on consilience of inductions. Maxwell on scientific analogy. Duhem on underdetermination. Poincaré on geometrical Conventionalism. Popper on demarcation. Kuhn on scientific revolutions. António Sérgio and the educational value of history of science. Darrigol on modular structure of scientific theory. Hermínio Martins on contemporary techno-science. Science and values.
Teaching Methods
The topics covered in the program are the subject of lectures by the teacher and student oral presentations. For each topic, the relevant bibliography will be available. Texts or excerpts from texts by authors and reference works will be analyzed, namely by the aforementioned philosophers. Students must present two essays on topics in the program (one with about 1000 words, and the second with 2500 words), of which they must also make an oral presentation; the first of the short essays (E1) will be a commentary on a text previously provided; the second (E2) must demonstrate deep reflection on one of the topics, chosen by agreement with the teacher. There will be a written final exam (EX). The classification will be a average of the essays and the oral presentation: final classification = 0,1E1+0,3E2+0,6E3.
