• give an account of the basic ontological and epistemological assumptions within the different philosophy of science traditions presented in the syllabus;
• locate the theoretical positions and key concepts in a broader philosophy of science context;
• identify central similarities and differences between the main ideas and concepts within the different philosophy of science traditions presented in the syllabus; and
• discuss and reflect upon the theoretical and methodological considerations in the 2nd year project against the background of different philosophy of science traditions.

Philosophy of knowledge is the backbone of all scholarly work because it is concerned with the conditions for saying that some statements are more correct than others. In other words, it provides the basis for calling some knowledge ‘scientific’, ‘true’, or ‘correct’ because the philosophy of knowledge provides the fundamental rules by which to judge and evaluate so-called knowledge claims. Hence, by taking this course, students will learn how different ideas about the world and about knowledge lead to different ways of understanding what true knowledge is.

This allows students to establish scholarly arguments themselves, as well as improving their ability to understand and criticise other knowledge claims. This is not only relevant in academic work but also in knowledge-intensive work contexts where different kinds of statements have to be dissected.

The course will demonstrate how different perceptions of the world have consequences for the way we describe and explain it. The course will show how the different perspectives are informed by meta-theoretical assumptions as well as a different understanding of what science is. While the course should be seen in relation to all the courses on the programme, the exam is related to the ‘2nd-year project’. During the workshops, we will discuss themes that are related to other courses in the programme but the overall thrust of the course is aimed towards a general introduction to the philosophy of social science.

The course is an introduction to the philosophy of science and will provide both knowledge as well as tools to identify the general paradigms which have informed the social sciences. As such, it relates to the other courses in the programme in such a way that it provides the meta-theories for the other courses as well as for the 2nd year project. Students will not only engage with meta-theoretical assumptions but also with how to identify these assumptions in their own and others' work.

Aim of the course

The aim of this course is to provide the student with

(1) a general insight into the different conceptions of science that have informed social sciences to this day;

(2) knowledge about different perceptions of the society and the individual, rooted in the ontological and epistemological assumptions of different philosophy of science traditions;

(3) knowledge about the conceptual and methodological consequences of applying different philosophy of science traditions in project work and the ability to integrate it into own project work.