Science describes, explains and discovers natural phenomena, and since it adopted the Galileian method it gave us a scientific image of the world which influences all of our knowledge. Science has been considered as the basis of techniques and technology, and some thought it could substitute metaphysics.  Philosophy of science tries to find out what is the nature of science, in particular: what is the hypothetic-deductive method; what is a scientific theory; what role is played by observation; what is the importance of theorization; whether the objects posited by theories are real or just instrumental concepts; why and how theories change and are substituted by new theories.

Thus some of the goals of the course  are the following: mapping the fundamental concepts of contemporary science; learning the foundations of the empirical sciences;  analyzing them epistemologically; learning the logical structure of Quantum mechanics; becoming acquainted with some particularly significant case-studies; making some first-hand experiences of the processes of measurement, data processing and easy computational tasks; becoming aware of the philosophical impact of contemporary science. In working on these objectives the course will provide a general introduction to the philosophy of science.

The course is also intended to improve the students'  logico-analytic and dialectic abilities, their philosophical sensibility, and the mastership of concepts and contents from the history of philosophy they have acquired in their bachelor program. There are no pre-requisites for this course, but because of the rather abstract and rigorous character of its topics, it is advisable to attend classes regularly and actively, since the very beginning. Those unable to attend classes can study on their own the texts listed in the section below for "NON FREQUENTANTI", but this will require careful work and a good attitude to autonomous learning, analysis and abstract thought.

The four parts of the course will offer both a general introduction to the philosophy of science and a direct  approach to specific aspects of scientific practice

Part I: The methodology of science

1. From ancient to modern science

2. Induction and inductivism

3. Operazionism, verificazionism and the elimination of metaphysics

4. Falsificazionism, scientific revolutions scientifiche and rationality

5. Analysis of case studies

Part II:  Foundations of physics

1. Space, tiome, motion, geometry, and relativity in Newton, Mach, Poincaré, Einstein

2. Absolute/relative, conventionalism, realism, crucial experiments, underdetermination of theories.

Part III: Experiment, mathematical  model and theory

1. Excution and interpretation of a scientific  experiment: the simple  pendulum.

2. The rationalizzation of measuerment by the language of statistics

3. Truth and predictability: from statistics to probability.

4. The transmission and transformation of a scientific theory: history of the relativity principle.

5. Theoretical pluralism: the origins and foundations of Galieian physics

Part IV: Open metaphysical questions in the uncertain world

Professors  Flavia Marcacci, Alessandro Afriat and Stefano Bordoni will held seminars.

no prerequisites

Dublin Descriptors Knowledge and understanding

After the course students should be able to understand and explain philosophical texts of medium difficulty, discuss some of the classical problems in philosophy of science, use the bibliographical tools and repertories available in this field, know some of the state of the art questions on scientific theories

Applying knowledge and understanding

After the course students should be able to discuss and evaluate various claims and arguments both in the specialistic debate and in the general contemporary cultural debate. 

Making judgementsAfter the course students should be able to make autonomous and original judgements about the arguments in the debate and  the examples drawn from  scientific knowledge. To this end discussions in the classroom will be encouraged. Originality and autonomous judgement will be part of the final evalution of the student's performance 

Communication skills

After the course students should be able to explain and discuss the relevant topics with conceptual and linguistic exactness, and to offer efficacious  and synthetic accounts of the subject matter. To this end, verbal interaction in the classroom and a careful reading and analysis of the relevant texts will be encouraged

 Learning skills

After the course students should be acquainted with the subject matter and the method of research enough to be able to proceed on their own  in gathering further knowledge from the literature in the field and in contiguous fields. To this end they should also improve their ability to read English texts in the field.

The teaching material prepared by the lecturer in addition to recommended textbooks (such as for instance slides, lecture notes, exercises, bibliography) and communications from the lecturer specific to the course can be found inside the Moodle platform › blended.uniurb.it

Having been structured into four sections the course will provide to a wide range of learning need of students. Each teacher will make available any lecture notes, readings, bibliographical and website references which may be needed or helpful

Teaching

Class lectures; course papers; laboratories and seminars.The course will work interactively. Non Italian students will  be allowed to use English (or French or Spanish) for all their required readings, questions and comments in the classroom, and in the final exam.

Attendance

Since the topics are complex and the course aims to be interactive, it is strongly advisable to attend classes regularly since the beginning, and to complete promptly the readings or exercises assigned each time. Attendance will not be very  fruitful unless one follows the largest part of classes, and after missing a class  one should immediately inquire about the topics that have been discussed in it.

Course books

Bordoni, S. (1995), Eleveremo questa congettura, Pavia: Università degli Studi di Pavia; SOLO pp. 93-137, 651-684, 761-771.

Duhem: La Teoria fisica, capitoli su esperimenti cruciali, sottodeterminazione delle teorie

Einstein: Geometria ed esperienza

G. Galilei, Le mecaniche, in Edizione Nazionale, cit., II, pp. 147-191

Holton, G. (1983), L’immaginazione scientifica – I temi del pensiero scientifico, Torino: Einaudi; SOLO capitolo 1 (pp. 3-24), e capitoli dal 3 al 7 (pp. 97-332).

T.S. Kuhn, La rivoluzione copernicana. L’astronomia planetaria nello sviluppo del pensiero occidentale, Einaudi, Torino 2000, capp. 3-5

Mach: La meccanica nel suo sviluppo storico-critico, analisi del secchio di Newton

Poincaré: Scienza e ipotesi, Il valore della scienza: capitoli su spazio, tempo

Newton: Principia: Scolio su spazio assoluto e tempo assoluto

G. Tarozzi ,“I principi metafisici sono veramente privi di significato?” con P. Graziani, in Un 'austriaco' in Italia. Festschrift in onore del professor Dario Antiseri,  a cura di R. De Mucci, K. Leube , p. 637-651, Soveria Mannelli, Rubbettino (2011)

G. Tarozzi “Realismo scientifico e realismo empirico: è possibile discriminare sperimentalmente nel caso della meccanica quantistica?” con I. Colagè, Isonomia, vol. IX, numero speciale, p. 131-156, ISSN: 2037- 4348 (2009)

G. Tarozzi “Microfisica e metafisica. Le anomalie causali e ontologiche della meccanica quantistica”, Nuova Secondaria, 4, pp. 25-37 (2013)

G. Tarozzi, Filosofia della microfisica, Accademia Nazionale di Scienze, Lettere e Arti, Mucchi, Modena (1992)

G. Tarozzi, Principi filosofici e principi della fisica. La riapertura delle controversie metafisiche nel dibattito sui fondamenti della meccanica quantistica in M. Pera, G. Tarozzi, M. Fleischmann, Lezioni in memoria di Giuliano Preparata,  Bibliopolis, Napoli, 2007

G. Tarozzi, “L’utopia causale. Dal demone di Laplace alla retroazione del futuro sul passato”, in Utopie. Percorsi per immaginare il futuro, L. Mazzoli and G. Zanchini eds. Codice Edizioni, Torino; pp. 167-192 (2012)

During classes the teachers will give additional reading references and specify which texts are strictly required for the exam and which ones are not. Some texts will be available on the Blended learning webpage of the course. Should any text be unavailable contact the teachers. Foreign students can use English editions of these texts or substitute them with texts in English edition

Assessment

The achievement of learning objectives will be assessed through an oral exam, intended to ascertain what and how much the student has learned both about the basic concepts of the discipline, and about the most important historical developments relevant to the topics of the course, but also their comprehension and capacity to discuss in a critical and possibly original way the topics of classes and assigned readings.

  Active participation in class discusion and exercises will also be taken into account.

During classes the teachers will specify which texts are strictly required for the exam and which ones are not.

Non Italian students will be allowed to use English (or French or Spanish) for all their required readings, questions and comments in the classroom, and for the final exam.

Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.

To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.

Teaching

THOSE UNABLE TO ATTEND CLASSES will study on their own (individually or with others) according to the directions of this vademecum and if possible with the help which can be given by the teachers during office hours or through e-mail, Skype, etc. The files of lecture notes will also be made available on the platform Moodle › https://blended.uniurb.it. In order to benefit form the interactive character of the course, students not attending classes can fix with one of the teachers the argument of a term paper.

Attendance

none

Course books

Bordoni, S. (1995), Eleveremo questa congettura, Pavia: Università degli Studi di Pavia; SOLO pp. 93-137, 651-684, 761-771.

Duhem: La Teoria fisica, capitoli su esperimenti cruciali, sottodeterminazione delle teorie

Einstein: Geometria ed esperienza

G. Galilei, Le mecaniche, in Edizione Nazionale, cit., II, pp. 147-191

Holton, G. (1983), L’immaginazione scientifica – I temi del pensiero scientifico, Torino: Einaudi; SOLO capitolo 1 (pp. 3-24), e capitoli dal 3 al 7 (pp. 97-332).

T.S. Kuhn, La rivoluzione copernicana. L’astronomia planetaria nello sviluppo del pensiero occidentale, Einaudi, Torino 2000, capp. 3-5

Mach: La meccanica nel suo sviluppo storico-critico, analisi del secchio di Newton

Poincaré: Scienza e ipotesi, Il valore della scienza: capitoli su spazio, tempo

Newton: Principia: Scolio su spazio assoluto e tempo assoluto

G. Tarozzi ,“I principi metafisici sono veramente privi di significato?” con P. Graziani, in Un 'austriaco' in Italia. Festschrift in onore del professor Dario Antiseri,  a cura di R. De Mucci, K. Leube , p. 637-651, Soveria Mannelli, Rubbettino (2011)

G. Tarozzi “Realismo scientifico e realismo empirico: è possibile discriminare sperimentalmente nel caso della meccanica quantistica?” con I. Colagè, Isonomia, vol. IX, numero speciale, p. 131-156, ISSN: 2037- 4348 (2009)

G. Tarozzi “Microfisica e metafisica. Le anomalie causali e ontologiche della meccanica quantistica”, Nuova Secondaria, 4, pp. 25-37 (2013)

G. Tarozzi, Filosofia della microfisica, Accademia Nazionale di Scienze, Lettere e Arti, Mucchi, Modena (1992)

G. Tarozzi, Principi filosofici e principi della fisica. La riapertura delle controversie metafisiche nel dibattito sui fondamenti della meccanica quantistica in M. Pera, G. Tarozzi, M. Fleischmann, Lezioni in memoria di Giuliano Preparata,  Bibliopolis, Napoli, 2007

G. Tarozzi, “L’utopia causale. Dal demone di Laplace alla retroazione del futuro sul passato”, in Utopie. Percorsi per immaginare il futuro, L. Mazzoli and G. Zanchini eds. Codice Edizioni, Torino; pp. 167-192 (2012)

During classes the teachers will give additional reading references and specify which texts are strictly required for the exam and which ones are not. Some texts will be available on the Blended learning webpage of the course. Should any text be unavailable contact the teachers. Foreign students can use English editions of these texts or substitute them with texts in English edition

Assessment

Oral exam. Non Italian students will  be allowed to use English (or French or Spanish) for all their required reading and for the final exam.

During classes the teachers will specify which texts are strictly required for the exam and which ones are not.

Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.

To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.