Philosophy and the natural sciences have long enjoyed a close association. The twentieth century in particular saw unprecedented philosophical focus on a series of related conceptual and methodological questions concerning science. What divides science from pseudo-science? What is it to “explain” phenomena? How do the sciences give us understanding of the natural world? Is there a distinctive “scientific method”? Do scientists have special ethical obligations? How should democratic societies go about ordering their research priorities? Does the scientific community deserve the public’s trust? What would that mean? We’ll address these and other questions through a mixture of philosophical analysis and detailed examination of case studies across the sciences.

Prerequisite: Philosophy 100 or permission of the instructor (please email me with your BUID and the nature of your interest in and preparation for the course).