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Thinking about Natural Science: An introduction to philosophy for scientists
This short course aims to introduce philosophy to people with a science background. It discusses philosophical problems that are encountered in science with the main focus on physics. The aim is to familiarize the audience with various philosophical concepts, along the main historical trends and their evolution from antiquity to our current times.
This course is presented in the context of Postgraduate Research Student training programme as a optional activity. Please register if you want to attend so that we can plan accordingly. Both online and in person options are available.
Audience:
The course is intended for advanced undergraduate students (year 3 or 4), PhD students and members of staff from any department in science and engineering. No previous knowledge of philosophy is required, but some background in science (e.g. in either maths, physics, chemistry, engineering or computer science) is assumed. Other interested parties are also welcome to join in person or in zoom.
The lecturer:
Dr Paolo Beltrame is a particle physicist, currently working on muon physics mainly in Mu3e. He received his PhD in 2009 from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Germany, working on the KLOE experiment. In addition to his work in particle physics, Paolo holds a M.Sc. in philosophy (Pontifical Salesian University, Rome, 2000) and a M.Sc. in theology (Jesuit Faculty of Centre Sèvres, Paris, 2022). He collaborates with various philosophy faculties (Edinburgh, Wuppertal, Rome) in seminars and conferences, and has also worked at the Vatican Observatory in Castel Gandolfo, Italy, and in Tucson, Arizona USA, investigating both the scientific aspects of cosmology and the various philosophical and theological implications.
Programme:
There are 6 lectures of duration of up to 1h30m taking place on Monday’s at 17:00 during semester weeks 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9 at OLL Leo Carroll Suite (337) and online (zoom).
The zoom details will be sent to you after you register.
Lectures in more detail:
1. [3 February 2025] Introduction and a look at the historical background.
2. [10 February 2025] The birth of modern science, philosophical difficulties and debates.
3. [17 February 2025] (Neo)Positivism, Popper, Kuhn, Lakatos, Feyerabend.
4. [10 March 2025] Case studies in Physics (I): reality.
5. [24 March 2025] Case studies in Physics (II): truth.
6. [31 March 2025] Guest lecture
Suggested literature:
- What is this thing called science?, A. Chalmers;
- The rise of science, P. Shaver;
- Philosophy and the Science for Everyone, M. Massimi (ed.)
- A new history in western philosophy, A. Kenny (Some chapters).
Further articles might be provided during the course.