MPBPOF10 Critical Thinking and the Scientific Method

Institute of physics in Opava
winter 2025
Extent and Intensity
0/2/0. 2 credit(s). Type of Completion: z (credit).
Teacher(s)
Mgr. Jan Černík, Ph.D. (seminar tutor), Mgr. Martin Petrásek, Ph.D. (deputy)
Mgr. Lenka Příplatová, Ph.D. (seminar tutor)
Guaranteed by
Mgr. Martin Petrásek, Ph.D.
Institute of physics in Opava
Timetable of Seminar Groups
MPBPOF10/A: each even Thursday 13:15–16:15 209, L. Příplatová
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
Course objectives
The course consists of four thematic blocks: 1) cognitive biases, 2) science and pseudoscience, 3) argument analysis, 4) conspiracy theory. The seminar work consists of two parts. As part of their homework, students read texts in 20th century philosophy of science in preparation for class. Then, in class, we work with our knowledge of the literature, supplementing it with theoretical context in discussion, and in practical exercises students try out the application of the theory. 1. Cognitive biases and communication - Confirmation blindness, hindsight bias, Dunning-Kruger effect, heuristics, confabulation, knowledge, truth, justification, facts, paradox of relativism, intelligibility, cooperative principle, helpfulness principle, epistemic vigilance. 2. Science and pseudoscience - Verification, falsification, Occam's razor, skepticism, hoaxes, scientific observation, the problem of induction, hypotheses and theories. 3. Argument Analysis - Formal and informal logic, definitions, paraphrasing, argumentation, burden of proof, conventional and conversational implicatures, default premises, argument maps, argumentative fallacies. 4. Conspiracy Theory - Science and common sense, working with data, manipulation, rhetoric, narrative presentation and analysis.
Literature
    recommended literature
  • ROYAL, Brandon. Principy kritického myšlení. Praha: Ikar, 2017
  • KAHNEMAN, Daniel. Myšlení: rychlé a pomalé. Brno: Jan Melvil, 2012.
  • 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.
  • GODFREY-SMITH, Peter. Theory and Reality: An Introduction to the Philosophy of Science. U of Chicago P, 2003.
  • SINNOTT-ARMSTRONG, Walter a Robert J. FOGELIN. Understanding Arguments: An Introduction to Informal Logic, 9th Ed. Belmont: Wadsworth, 2015.
  • ROSENBERG, Alex. Philosophy of Science: A Contemporary Introduction, 3rd Ed. New York: Routledge, 2012.
  • BALASHOV, ‎Yuri a Alex ROSENBERG (eds.). Philosophy of Science: Contemporary Readings. New York: Routledge, 2001.
Language of instruction
Czech
Further Comments
The course can also be completed outside the examination period.
The course is taught annually.
The course is also listed under the following terms winter 2024.
  • Enrolment Statistics (recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.slu.cz/course/fu/winter2025/MPBPOF10