Philo­sophy of Sci­ence

Course content

This course offers a comprehensive introduction to philosophy of science, with particular emphasis on how diverse philosophical perspectives influence our understanding of knowledge and its role in scholarly and professional contexts. At its core, philosophy of science explores the conditions under which certain statements can be considered more valid, accurate, or "scientific" than others. It establishes the foundational criteria for evaluating knowledge claims and working analytically with empirical material.

By engaging with this course, students will acquire the tools to understand how different philosophical assumptions about the world shape our ideas of truth, knowledge, and scientific inquiry. This understanding fosters intellectual curiosity and a critical perspective and encourages students to see the ambiguities and complexities inherent in scholarly argumentation. The course thus improves students’ ability to evaluate, challenge, and refine knowledge claims—skills that are not only essential for academic success but also vital in knowledge-intensive professional environments, where competing forms of expertise must be assessed.

Throughout the course, students will be introduced to the major paradigms that have shaped the development of the social sciences and will evaluate their implications for understanding and addressing societal issues. The course is designed to support and contextualize other courses in the program by providing a meta-theoretical framework that enhances both coursework and project work.

Specifically, students will:

1. Gain a comprehensive understanding of the various conceptions of science that have shaped the social sciences, and acknowledge their historical contexts.
2. Gain insight into different perspectives on society and the individual, based on the ontological and epistemological assumptions of various philosophical traditions through engagement with primary texts.
3. Learn to recognize the conceptual and methodological implications of adopting various philosophical perspectives and apply this understanding to their academic projects.

The course fosters reflective and critical engagement with the foundations of knowledge production, equipping students with a deeper appreciation of the relationship between philosophical assumptions and the practice of generating, analyzing, and applying business and societal knowledge.