APPROVED
Director of the Institute of 
Socio-humanitarian technologies  
___________ D.V.Chakovsky
«___»_____________2015 г.

Philosophical and methodological problems of science and technology 
COURSE SYLLABUS

STUDY MAJOR	For all master’s degree of General Educational Program	

QUALIFICATION (DEGREE)	master	

ADMISSION        	2013 	
YEAR	1	   semester	1 	

CREDITS	3 	
		
PRE-REQUISITES	Philosophy	
CO-REQUISITES	Research effort in term	
STUDY TIME ALLOCATION:
LECTURES	16	hrs.	
LABORATORY WORKS		hrs.	
PRACTICAL CLASSES	16	hrs.	
CLASS HOURS	32	hrs.	
SELF-STUDY	76	hrs.	
TOTAL	108	hrs.	
		
MODE OF STUDY	Full-time	
		
FINAL ASSESSMENT	Final Test	
		
DEPARTMENT	Philosophy	
			
HEAD OF DEPARTMENT		A. A. Kornienko	
			
HEAD OF
GENERAL EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM		I. B. Ardashkin	
			
LECTURER		N. V. Pogukaeva	

2015	

1. The objectives of the course

The main objectives of the course are:	
•	to provide students with theoretical foundations and methods of philosophy of science and technology;
•	to develop skills and become proficient in analysis of scientific methodology;
•	to form clear concept of main historically developed theories of science.

2. The rank of the course in the educational program structure
The course refers to special disciplines of a base part of a general scientific cycle. It is connected with disciplines of a professional cycle and used knowledge and skills received in that disciplines. 
Pre-requisites are: “Philosophy”.
Knowledge and skills attained in the course can be used in the following disciplines (co-requisites): “Research effort in term”.

3. Student Learning Outcomes (Results)
	The main planned outcome (result) is:
- To prepare students for mastering by the basic methodological approaches for correlation philosophical and scientific methods; 
- To prepare students for new information search, obtaining and analyzing, for the purpose of effective decision making; 
- To develop students’ abilities to use the scientific information in science development. 
- To develop students’ abilities to use the nature of scientific explanation, the confirmation of scientific theories, theories of truth, the distinction between science and metaphysics, 
the structure and status observation statements, and the “unity of science” thesis 

As a result of studying the course, a student will have:
KNOWLEDGE (K 1, K2, K3) OF: 
•	classification of science and scientific researches;
•	the main scientific schools, conceptions, methodology of scientific research; (K1)
•	the specific features of scientific cognition;
•	the new methods of solving scientific problems; (K2)
•	philosophical questions of development of science and technologies;
•	the foundations of philosophical understanding of scientific problems. (K3)
SKILLS (S1, S2, S3) IN:
•	using modern scientific methods in solving professional tasks; 
•	to find and generalize analogies in development of materials, techniques and technologies from positions of philosophy; (S1)
•	analyzing logic of  reasoning and expressions; (S2)
•	to put problems and to choose methods of research, to interpret and represent results of scientific researches. (S3)
COMPETENCIES (C1, C2, C3)
•	Ability to form representation about a scientific picture of the world; possession of culture of thinking, ability to generalization, the analysis, perception of the information, statement of the purpose and a choice of ways of its achievement; (C1)
•	Ability to use philosophical and methodological basis of researches and development in the science of materials for ability to solve scientific problems; (C2)
•	Ability to generalization, the analysis, critical judgment, ordering, forecasting, statement of the purposes and a choice of ways of their achievement. (C3)

4. Course structure and content
4.1 Course content
The Lecture and practice material is composed of the following sections:

1. The main philosophical problems of science and scientific cognition. 
Philosophy of science: the basic concepts. Philosophy of science: sociological and methodological aspects. Science development: the revolutionary and evolutionary aspects.
Philosophy and cognition: problem of synthesis. Rational and irrational in scientific cognition. Knowledge as philosophical problem.
The philosophical problems of natural science (ontology, objectivity of knowledge, space-time, scientific method, determinism).

2. Classification of sciences and its value for scientific knowledge.
Kinds of sciences. Classification of science: necessity or way of science development. 
History of classification of science: Plato, Aristotle, F Bacon, A. Comte, H. Spencer. Contemporary approach to problem of classification. . 

3. The specific of natural and humanitarian sciences.
Natural philosophy as science about nature of universe (history and development). The common fundamental principles (Thales, Anaksimandros, Anaximenes, Anaxagoras, Herakleitos, Demokritos, Epicuros, Titus Lucretius Carus). The ideal fundamental principle (Pythagoras, Socrates, Plato, Aristotle). 
Science about “lifeless” nature: mathematics, physics, astronomy). 
The Earth sciences: geography, geology. 
Sciences about “alive” nature: biology, medicine, ecology. 
The chemistry science as a correlation problem of “alive” and “lifeless” nature. 
Mathematics is the universal science about relationship. The mathematic reality: the sing and significance.
Humanitarian sciences as a branch of scientific knowledge. The human being as subject of the humanitarian sciences. 
Society is a subject of humanitarian sciences. History and development of sciences about a society.

4. The specific of technical sciences. 
The technology as a subject of philosophical comprehension.   Technology as a kind of human activity. The status of technology in humankind development 
The philosophy of technology as a branch of philosophy. Technics as a core of a technogenic civilization and destiny of mankind.

5. The Process of Forming of the Scientific Knowledge.
The scientific problem. The stages, structure, classification of a scientific problem. The place and status of a scientific problem in cognition. Scientific hypothesis. The hypothesis’ status in the scientific cognition.

4.2. Course structure
The course consists of five sections based on a single theme. Table 1 outlines the sections, learning activities and study time allocation.

Table 1
Section	Classroom activities (hrs)	Self
Study
(hrs)	
	Lectures	Practice 		
1. The main philosophical problems of science and scientific cognition	2	4	14	
2. Classification of sciences and its value for scientific knowledge.	4	2	16	
3. The specific of natural and humanitarian sciences
	4	4	14	
4. The specific of technical sciences. 
	2	2	16	
5. The Process of Forming of the Scientific Knowledge.	4	4	16	
Total	16	16	76	

4.3 Distribution of competencies according to the course sections
Student outcomes articulated by the General Educational  Program are given in Table 2

Table 2 

№	Competencies	
		1	2	3	4	5	
1.		K.1.	х	х			х	
2.		K.2.		х			х	
3.		K.3.			х	х		
4.		S.1.	х	х			х	
5.		S.2.		х			х	
6.		S.3.			х	х		
7.		C.1.	х	х			х	
8.		C.2.		х			х	
9.		C.3.			х	х		
* 	K – knowledge,  S – skills,  C - competencies

5. Educational technologies
The combination of educational technologies, given in Table 3, provides achievement of the expected outcomes (results).
Table 3 
Teaching methods and forms of studying

Forms

Methods	  Lectures	Practice.	Self-study	
IT-methods	+	+	+	
Teamwork		+	+	
Experience-based learning		+		
Advanced self-study			+	
Search	+	+		
Investigation			+	

6. Self-study program

6.1 Current self-study consists of reading lecture materials and teacher’s manual, as well as internet resources, training for practical works and tests. Time budget is 76 hours and includes:
1) 	studying |reading lecture materials; writing reports and training for practical works (58 hrs.)
2) 	tests preparation and completion (18 hrs.)

6.2 Creative problem-oriented autonomous work involves conducting research and analysis of individual course theme (at the teacher’s choice), participation in students’ conferences; review of scientific publications on a predetermined theme.

6.3 Self-study content 

Report topics	
1.	The specific of philosophical problems. 
2.	The specific of scientific problems.  
3.	The philosophical problems of contemporary natural sciences. 
4.	The philosophical problems of technique. 
5.	The functions of philosophy in scientific cognition. 
6.	Science as a form of world outlook and the branch of science. 
7.	Science as an object of philosophical analysis.  
8.	History of science and development of rationality. 
9.	Specific features of the modern science. 
10.	Specificity of the natural science. 
11.	Specificity of philosophical knowledge. 
12.	Technical sciences. The specific features of technical knowledge. 
13.	The problem of correlation science and technique. 
14.	The classification of sciences and its importance. 
15.	The ontological problems of physics. 
16.	The quantum mechanics and its objective character. 
17.	The problem of determinism in natural sciences.
18.	 Philosophical problems of particular sciences (the science at the choice of student).
19.	The philosophical methods in scientific cognition. 
20.	The problem of being and the matter in philosophy and science. 
21.	The problem of consciousness in science and philosophy. 
22.	The problem of space and time in science and philosophy. 
23.	The ideals and norms in scientific cognition. 

6.4	Self-study assessment
	Assessment of self-study results is organized in two forms: self- assessment and teacher’s evaluation. Teacher’s evaluation is reflected in the Rating plan.

6.5	Educational and methodological support for the students' self-study
1.	A. Kornienko, Igor B. Ardashkin, Alexsandr U. Chmihalo, “Philosophical problems of scientific knowledge”, Texbook, Tomsk, TPU, 2003
2.	The Blackwell Dictionary of Western Philosophy http://www.blackwellreference.com/public/
3.	Rescher N. The coherence theory of truth. - Oxford, 1973.
7. Current and final assessment

Current and interim assessment of student’ achievements is carried out on a basis of the Rating – plan, which includes the results of practical classes, self-study and two midterms.
In the process of studying, students complete two midterm tests covering the following sections of the course:
1. Classification of sciences.
2. The scientific truth.
3. The contemporary problems of science.
4. The levels of scientific cognition
5. The specific of technical sciences.

Midterm 1 and Midterm 2 samples are given in the Appendix A. Test 1 includes theoretical questions from course sections: Classification of sciences. The scientific truth.
Test 2 includes: The contemporary problems of science. The levels of scientific cognition. The specific of technical sciences.
Final Test (Appendix B) includes 3 theoretical questions covering material of all parts of the course.
Student grades will be calculated using the following criteria: the sum of the results of practical works, 2 Midterms and Final test.

8. References
Basic
1. Philosophy of science: The Central Issues, Martin Curd and J.A. Cover, Norton &Co, 1998. 
2. What is this Thing called Science? A.F. Chalmers, Open University Press, 3th edn, 1999. 
3. The Philosophy of science, David Papineau, Oxford Reading in Philosophy series (OUP, 1996). 
4. Lacatos I. Falsification and the Methodology of Scientific Research Programmes, (C.U.P., 1978). 
5. Bird, Alexander. Thomas Kuhn Princeton and London: Princeton University Press and Acumen Press, 2000. 
6. Kuhn, T.S. The Copernican Revolution. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1957.

Additional
1. A.A. Kornienko, R.B.Kvesko, G.K. Goolbin. Philosophy. Tomsk Polytechnic University. Tomsk, 1998.
2. A.A. Kornienko, I.B. Ardashkin, A Yu. Chmykhalo. The philosophy of science. Tomsk Polytechnic University. Tomsk, 2004.
3. A.A. Kornienko, I.B. Ardashkin, A Yu. Chmykhalo. Philosophical problems of scientific knowledge. Tomsk Polytechnic University. Tomsk, 2004.

Software and Web sources

1.	Stanford Encyclopedia of philosophy. http://plato.stanford.edu/ 
2.	Perseus Digital library. http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/ 
3.	Bird, A. (1998) "Laws of Nature", in Philosophy of Science, McGill-Queen’s: Montreal-Kingston, pp. 25-44; 49-54. 
4.	The Blackwell Dictionary of Western Philosophy http://www.blackwellreference.com/public/
5.	Hajek, Alan, "Interpretations of Probability", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Summer 2003 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), http://plato.stanford.edu/archives/sum2003/entries/probability-interpret/. 
6.	Kukla, A. (1994) "Scientific Realism, Scientific Practice, and the Natural Ontolotical Attitude", British Journal for the Philosophy of Science 45, pp. 955-975. 
7.	Vickers, John, "The Problem of Induction", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Winter 2006 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), http://plato.stanford.edu/archives/win2006/entries/induction-problem/. 
8.	Woodward, James, "Scientific Explanation", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Summer 2003 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), http://plato.stanford.edu/archives/sum2003/entries/scientific-explanation/. 

 Computer facilities used in a process of teaching 
Personal computers with the operating system Windows.

The syllabus CONSIDERED and approved at the meeting of the Department of Philosophy	
__________________________________________________________ 

(record № __ from     .      . 2015)

Author ____________________	Nataliya Pogukaeva, assosiated professor
Reviewer ____________________	Larisa Korobejnikova, professor

apPendix А

Midterm samples
Midterm № 1

	Variant 1	
1	The cyclicity of the development of science.	
2	Science and technology: the peculiarities of interaction and joint development.	
3	The functions of science in contemporary society.	
4	The ontological nature of the unity of scientific knowledge	
5	The classification of integration processes in science.	
6	Criteria, objective indexes of integration processes.	
7	The problem of selecting basis for a classification of sciences.	
8	Kinds of sciences: historical foreshortening.	

Midterm № 2

	Variant 1	
1	The empirical and theoretical level of cognition.	
2	The interior structure of the empirical research.	
3	The theoretical level of scientific knowledge.	
4	Scientific problem.	
5	Scientific hypothesis	
6	Scientific fact and the contemporary science.	
7	Practical application of the scientific knowledge: the correlation of science and engineering.	
8	Engineering as applied science.	

Appendix B

Final Test Sample
Variant № 1

1	The specific of philosophical problems.	
2	The specific features of contemporary science.	
3	The problem of determinism in natural sciences.