Karl
Popper, an influential philosopher and historian of science proposed
that "Science must begin with myths, and with the criticism of myths."
From this perspective, we can trace the historical origin of science
back to creation stories and the metaphysics of ancient philosophy. But
how did science as we know it today emerge from this myth-infused
origin? Is science a special or privileged way of expanding our
knowledge of the world? What makes a theory "scientific"? What propels
scientific revolutions? In addressing these questions, course will
contest a common (if unspoken) myth about science: that it has no
creation story, that it had to be the way it is. Our attention to the
history and philosophy of science will focus on the themes of the role
of science in society and in the development of our conception of
ourselves in relation to nature.