POLITICAL EPISTEMOLOGY

General introduction to Political Epistemology, as an articulation of historical epistemology,
with a special focus on the problem of science and ideology.

• To introduce students to research in political epistemology;
• To explore the ways to connect the philosophy of science with the history of science and political theory;
• To address a crucial topic of political epistemology, namely the problems of science and ideology and science-based ideology (scientism and technocracy);
• To become capable of reflecting of and discussing historical and philosophical sources and critically interpret them.

Enthusiasm and readiness to engage with challenging historical and philosophical discussions and readings;

Knowledge of English in order to read the materials and participate in the discussion.

The course will introduce the main problems of political epistemology, an historical-epistemological approach to knowledge that looks at the political as a key for a correct comprehension of science as a cultural phenomenon.
The main theme will be the problem of science policy and ideology in science/science studies.
The general part will be based on a newly printed book on Political epistemology (Omodeo 2019) as well as on theses derived from reference authors such John Bernal (Social function of science, 1939) and Hilary Rose and Steven Rose (Political economy of science: Ideology of/in natural sciences, 1976).
The monographic part will focus on Jürgen Habermas, Technik und Wissenschaft als ‘Ideologie’ (Technology and Science as ‘Ideology’) (1968).

For the general part:
Pietro Daniel Omodeo, Political Epistemology: The Problem of Ideology in Science Studies (Dordrecht: Springer, 2019).

For the monographic part:
An English edition of Jürgen Habermas, Technik und Wissenschaft als „Ideologie" [Technology and Science as ‘Ideology’] (1968).

Additional readings (Bernal, Rose and Rose, and others) will be referred to in the classes and/or be made available through moodle.

Active participation in seminar activities within the class (with the support of PhD students)

Oral examination.

Frontal didactics;
possible experts' presentations on specific topics;
seminar activities on primary sources (assisted by PhD students).

Italian

oral