PHILOSOPHY
LECTURE 1
Sometimes even when there are facts, you can’t say them.
The thinker, Rodin: represent people thinking about the big questions of life.
What is knowledge? What is scientific knowledge? -> main question
It important to know facts, because they are needed for theoretical framework, to make decisions, to form
opinions, to make policy, to make choices.
we usually look for facts in science → “the crowning achievement of the human mind” - it gives us certainty.
Main problem of philosophy of science: why are there people that think that science is not that important,
“why their opinion is better than mine?”
In philosophy there are 2 ways of looking at science:
• scientism - “science is vastly superior to all other attempts at securing knowledge; its laws provide
certainty”
• skepticism - “science does not give certainty, it is equal to other forms of knowledge, science is a
faith “
Scientism and “modern” go along: using reason is a very modern way of thinking
modernism: modern thinking. relational- secular, think for yourself, use reasons only, Scientism/modernity
- knowledge and truth about nature and humans are only found by and in science
-> slogan: the scientific method is the only method to obtain
“our mind is the perfect mirror of reality”
Skepticism: post-modernism critical thinking about science, its method and its boundaries, pluralistic
conception of rationality and knowledge
-> knowledge is in the interest of the people who have power. We will never know something for sure. Post-
modernist say that we need to be very critical and you have to deconstruct science.
-> slogan: “anything goes”
“our minds are a crooked mirror. we know nothing, and we never will”
Scientism vs skepticism in philosophy: philosophical skepticism is critical thinking about science within the
boundaries of philosophy. Philosophical skepticism is a raging fire in our society (vaccines, climate
change…); it is a relativistic (there is no absolute truth, but some people say that it is actually like that)
Background of the issue/societal debate:
• “alternative facts”
• fake news
• “fact free politics”
In communication science we talk about disinformation and misinformation
Everyone has a different truth, but does that mean that there is no truth?
Bird’s eye view of the course: philosophers reflect
Philosophy of science: analyses the methods of inquiry used in the sciences
Meta theory- theory about theory
Main questions: what are the sources of knowledge, how do we handle knowledge a science, what is the
truth, what is real?
Enlightenment: one of the greatest intellectual projects, it brought us the successes of science. It
emphasizes reason, empiricism, and individualism instead of tradition
All our life we explore:
• Humans are exploring beings: curiosity defines human consciousness
• Observations provide us with evidence for explanations
• Curiosity defines us as human beings.
LECTURE 1
Sometimes even when there are facts, you can’t say them.
The thinker, Rodin: represent people thinking about the big questions of life.
What is knowledge? What is scientific knowledge? -> main question
It important to know facts, because they are needed for theoretical framework, to make decisions, to form
opinions, to make policy, to make choices.
we usually look for facts in science → “the crowning achievement of the human mind” - it gives us certainty.
Main problem of philosophy of science: why are there people that think that science is not that important,
“why their opinion is better than mine?”
In philosophy there are 2 ways of looking at science:
• scientism - “science is vastly superior to all other attempts at securing knowledge; its laws provide
certainty”
• skepticism - “science does not give certainty, it is equal to other forms of knowledge, science is a
faith “
Scientism and “modern” go along: using reason is a very modern way of thinking
modernism: modern thinking. relational- secular, think for yourself, use reasons only, Scientism/modernity
- knowledge and truth about nature and humans are only found by and in science
-> slogan: the scientific method is the only method to obtain
“our mind is the perfect mirror of reality”
Skepticism: post-modernism critical thinking about science, its method and its boundaries, pluralistic
conception of rationality and knowledge
-> knowledge is in the interest of the people who have power. We will never know something for sure. Post-
modernist say that we need to be very critical and you have to deconstruct science.
-> slogan: “anything goes”
“our minds are a crooked mirror. we know nothing, and we never will”
Scientism vs skepticism in philosophy: philosophical skepticism is critical thinking about science within the
boundaries of philosophy. Philosophical skepticism is a raging fire in our society (vaccines, climate
change…); it is a relativistic (there is no absolute truth, but some people say that it is actually like that)
Background of the issue/societal debate:
• “alternative facts”
• fake news
• “fact free politics”
In communication science we talk about disinformation and misinformation
Everyone has a different truth, but does that mean that there is no truth?
Bird’s eye view of the course: philosophers reflect
Philosophy of science: analyses the methods of inquiry used in the sciences
Meta theory- theory about theory
Main questions: what are the sources of knowledge, how do we handle knowledge a science, what is the
truth, what is real?
Enlightenment: one of the greatest intellectual projects, it brought us the successes of science. It
emphasizes reason, empiricism, and individualism instead of tradition
All our life we explore:
• Humans are exploring beings: curiosity defines human consciousness
• Observations provide us with evidence for explanations
• Curiosity defines us as human beings.
