FU:FYBPV0007 Critical thinking and scientif - Course Information
FYBPV0007 Critical thinking and scientific method
Institute of physics in Opavawinter 2021
- Extent and Intensity
- 0/2/0. 2 credit(s). Type of Completion: z (credit).
- Teacher(s)
- Mgr. Jan Černík, Ph.D. (seminar tutor)
- Guaranteed by
- Mgr. Martin Petrásek, Ph.D.
Institute of physics in Opava - Timetable of Seminar Groups
- FYBPV0007/01: Thu 30. 9. 13:05–16:20 KINO, Thu 21. 10. 13:05–16:20 KINO, Thu 25. 11. 13:05–16:20 KINO, J. Černík
- Prerequisites (in Czech)
- (FAKULTA(FU) && TYP_STUDIA(B))
- Course Enrolment Limitations
- The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
- fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
- Astrophysics (programme FU, FYZB)
- Astronomy and popularization (programme FU, FYZB)
- Course objectives
- The course consists of two thematic units: 1) the basics of the theory of argumentation and informal logic, 2) an overview of the philosophy of science in the 20th century. In the theory of argumentation, the theoretical distinction is theoretically distinguished from incorrect manipulation, the method of analysis and evaluation of the argument is explained and the main types of argumentative fouls are described. The content of the practical part is a series of home exercises, which are gradually improved the argumentation skills of participants. The philosophy of science covers topics related to scientific explanation, scientific methods, demarcation, scientific revolutions and scientific realism. The philosophy of special scientific disciplines, ie the philosophy of mathematics, physics, biology and social sciences, is also briefly outlined.
- Learning outcomes
- After completing the course, the student will be able to:
- orientate oneself in sources of information and distinguish the relevance of sources;
- understand the principles of scientific work and understand the function of science and the scientific method;
- recognize argumentation fouls, understand the causes and types of cognitive bias and apply them to real situations; - Syllabus
- 1. Rationality and communication. Cognition, truth, reasoning, facts, paradox of relativism, non-overlapping magisteriums. "Post-truth", "fact-checking", intelligibility, the principle of cooperation, the principle of helpfulness, epistemic vigilance, nonsense, obscurantism. 2. Analysis and evaluation of the argument. Formal and informal logic, definitions, paraphrases, argumentation, burden of proof, implicit meaning, conventional and conversational implications, silent premises, argumentation maps. 3. Argumentation fouls. Manipulation, fouls ad hominem, fouls ab auctoritate, fouls ad consequentiam, fouls ad passiones, fouls distorting the context. 4. Cognitive biases. Confirmatory blindness, hindsight bias, Dunning-Kruger effect, heuristics, confabulation, analytical thinking, theories of ignorance, intellectual virtues and vices. 5. Scientific method. Science and common sense, scientific observation, the problem of induction, hypotheses and theories, models, scientific revolutions, philosophy of special scientific disciplines. 6. Science, pseudoscience and para science. Verification, falsification, Occam's razor, skepticism, conspiracy theories, hoaxes.
- Literature
- recommended literature
- • ROYAL, Brandon. Principy kritického myšlení. Praha: Ikar, 2017
- • BALASHOV, Yuri a Alex ROSENBERG (eds.). Philosophy of Science: Contemporary Readings. New York: Routledge, 2001
- • GODFREY-SMITH, Peter. Theory and Reality: An Introduction to the Philosophy of Science. U of Chicago P, 2003
- • ROSENBERG, Alex. Philosophy of Science: A Contemporary Introduction, 3rd Ed. New York: Routledge, 2012
- • LADYMAN, James. Understanding Philosophy of Science. London: Routledge, 2002.
- • SINNOTT-ARMSTRONG, Walter a Robert J. FOGELIN. Understanding Arguments: An Introduction to Informal Logic, 9th Ed. Belmont: Wadsworth, 2015
- • PICHA, Marek. Kritické myšlení a rekonstrukce argumentu. Brno: Masarykova univerzita, 2014.
- • LEWENS, Tim. The Meaning of Science: An Introduction to the Philosophy of Science. London: Pelican Books, 2015.
- • CHALMERS, Alan. What Is This Thing Called Science?, 4th Ed. Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing, 2013
- Teaching methods
- lectures, seminars, discussions
- Assessment methods
- colloquium, final essay
- Language of instruction
- Czech
- Further Comments
- Study Materials
The course is taught annually.
- Enrolment Statistics (winter 2021, recent)
- Permalink: https://is.slu.cz/course/fu/winter2021/FYBPV0007