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Philosophy of Engineering: Science

Lecture 4: Observation, Hypotheses / Explanations, Abductive Reasoning (IBE); Hypotheses & Modelling

Teacher: prof. dr. Mieke Boon

Literature & Assignment: Readings Lecture 4

other lectures

4.1. Introduction: The societal relevance of philosophy of science

Lecture slides:

Slides Lecture 4
(including explanatory notes)

4.2. Summary: The logic of ‘truth’ and ‘empirical adequacy’

4.3. What is a hypothesis?

4.4. Do laws of nature explain?

Socrative answers:

Do laws of nature explain?

4.5. Laws of nature: Descriptions, definitions or explanations of observed phenomena?

4.6. Is your opinion really that extreme? - Are you really a realist / anti-realist?

4.7. Are laws just descriptions of observed phenomena?

4.8. How do we get theories (or models) that explain observed phenomena?

4.9. The problem of correspondence between the scientific model and real-world (= The problem of Realism)

4.10. Can we develop an alternative to Realism?

4.11. The anti-Realism alternative

4.12. Some other examples of observed phenomena and the scientific models explaining them

4.13. Scientific knowledge as tools for thinking – called epistemic tools

4.14. The B&K theory of scientific modeling

4.15. Take home message