UNDERSTANDING SCIENCE

Academic year
2024/2025 Syllabus of previous years
Official course title
UNDERSTANDING SCIENCE
Course code
ECC070 (AF:529206 AR:315954)
Modality
ECTS credits
1
Degree level
Corso Ordinario Primo Livello
Educational sector code
M-FIL/02
Period
Annual
Course year
1
Where
VENEZIA
The course presents a first introduction to topics in epistemology and metaphysics of science. In particular, we will address the debate about realism and constructivism in the more epistemological part, and the consequence of relativistic physics for the metaphysics of time and persistence in the metaphysics part.
Knowledge and familiarity with epistemological questions and metaphysical intimations raised by contemporary science.
There are no pre-requisites. All the necessary will be introduced in class. Attendance might not be mandatory, but it is highly recommended.
The course consists of 5 hours, 4 hours of lecture distributed as follows: 2h epistemology of science (Prof. M. Vagelli), and 2 hours of metaphysics of science (Prof. C. Calosi). The final hour will be dedicated to group work led by the students themselves.

• Epistemology of Science
Introduction to an Historical Philosophy of Science
The Realism Vs Constructivåism Debate

• Metaphysics of Science.
Introduction to Relativistic Physics
Relativity and the Metaphysics of Time
Relativity and the Metaphysics of Persistence
Epistemology: Latour (2000), On the Partial Existence of Existing and Non Existing Objects, In Biographies of Scientific Objects, L. Daston (ed.), University of Chicago Press, 247-269.

Metaphysics: Gilmore, Costa, Calosi (2016), ‘Relativity and three four-dimensionalisms’, Philosophy Compass 11, 102-120.
The assessment will include both participation in class discussions and the writing of a short essay (approximately 2000 words) on a topic chosen from the course material and agreed upon with the instructor.
written and oral
An interactive seminar session.
Definitive programme.
Last update of the programme: 05/02/2025