Philosophy of science for the social sciences (7,5HP)
Course responsible
Tomas Hellström, PhD Theory of Science (Gothenburg University), Professor of innovation,
entrepreneurship and knowledge creation (Lund University).
Course description
The purpose of the course is to introduce issues, concepts and arguments in the philosophy of
science for the social sciences, and to enable the student in pursuing independent inquiry on
their own topic by utilizing relevant ideas from the philosophy of science. Course topics
include models of scientific progress, theory and explanation, and special topics in the
philosophy of social science such as rationality, interpretation and meaning, functionalism and
causality, micro-macro problems, values, objectivity and critique in social science, and finally
the changing conditions for academic research.
Upon completion of the course students are expected to be able to:
- Account for central concepts and arguments in the philosophy of science;
- apply such concepts and arguments to theoretical and methodological choices made in their
own research;
- critically assess their own choices in these regards in relation to alternatives in the
philosophy of science, and provide relevant and adequate arguments for these choices.
Course schedule
Time
Topic
Readings
September 3,
9.15-12
Introduction to the course
General philosophy of science: Is
anything happening?
Ladyman part I
Martin & McIntyre ch. 2
September 10,
9.15-11
General philosophy of science:
Realism and its discontents
Ladyman part II
Barnes & Bloor (1982), Hollis & Lukes
(1982), Hacking (1999)
September 17,
9.15-11
Explanations in social science:
Deductions, causes and narratives
Martin & McIntyre part II, chs. 43, 45-46
September 24,
9.15-11
Interpretation, meaning and the
rationality of others
Martin & McIntyre part III-IV
October 1, 9.15- Individualism and holism, function
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and reduction in social explanations
Martin & McIntyre part V-IV, ch. 47,
Rosenberg (1995)
October 8, 9.15- Values, objectivity and critique in
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social science
Martin & McIntyre part VIII, ch. 48,
Longino (1990), Inteman (2010)
October 22,
9.15-11
Gibbons et al. (1994), Shinn (2002),
Hessels & van Lente (2008), Funtowicz &
Ravetz, 1993; Ziman, 1996
Social and epistemic change in
academic science
Place:
TBA
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Examination
The course is examined by a 2500 words essay. In this essay relevant topics covered in the
course should be used to account for methodological choices in the student's thesis project. It
is important to recognize that thesis purpose, theory choices and methodology all hang
togeher and that the essay must account for this unity in terms of philosophy of science
concepts.
Grading:
The essay is graded with a Pass (G) or Fail (U). To receive a Pass the essay must at least
achieve the following:
With reference to the course literature:
(1) present accurate and adequate accounts of concepts and arguments in the philosophy of
science central to the thesis research,
(2) demonstrate reasoned application of these concepts and arguments to theoretical and
methodological choices made in the thesis research,
(3) provide critical assessment of, and argument for, these choices in relation to alternatives
in the philosphy of science.
Literature
Course books:
Ladyman, J. (2002). Understanding philosophy of science. London: Routledge. 290 pp.
Martin, M. & McIntyre, L.C. eds. (1994). Readings in the philosophy of social science.
Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. 785 pp.
Handouts:
Barnes, B. & Bloor, D. (1982). Relativism, rationalism and the sociology of knowledge. In M.
Hollis & S. Lukes (eds.), Rationality and Relativism. London: Blackwell.
Funtowicz, S. & Ravetz, J. (1993). Science for the post-normal Age. Futures, 25, 739-755.
Gibbons, M. et al., (1994). The New Production of Knowledge. London: Sage Publications
(Introduction, kap. Intro, 1-2, 4)
Hacking, I. (1999). The social construction of what? Harvard University Press (Excerpt)
Hessels, L.K & van Lente, H. (2008). Re-thinking new knowledge production: A literature
review and a research agenda. Research Policy, 37, 740-760.
Hollis, M. & Lukes, S. (1982). Introduction. In M. Hollis & S. Lukes (eds.), Rationality and
Relativism. London: Blackwell.
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Longino, H. (1990). Science as social knowledge. Values and objectivity in social inquiry.
Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. (pp. 62-102)
Rosenberg, A. (1995). Functionalism and macrosocial science (i A. Rosenberg, Philosophy of
Social Science pp. 124-152), Boulder, CO: Westview Press.
Shinn, T. (2002). The Triple-Helix and New Production of Knowledge: Prepackaged thinking
on science and technology. Social Studies of Science, 32(4), pp. 599-614.
Ziman, J. (1996). Post-academic science: Constructing knowledge with networks and norms.
Science Studies, 9, 67-80.
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