The Philosophy of Scientific Models

About this programme

This course provides in-depth knowledge in the philosophy of science, by focusing on an aspect of scientific work that is central to most, if not all, scientific fields: scientific models. The course is part of the Bachelor's Program in Philosophy of Science and Physics 180 credits . The course is given as a stand-alone 7.5-credit course, but can also be credited as a module in Theoretical Philosophy II 30 credits, Theoretical Philosophy – Bachelor's Course 30 credits, and Theoretical Philosophy – Bachelor's Course within the Bachelor's Program in Logic, Philosophy and Mathematics 30 credits. Registration Emails will be sent out to all admitted students well in advance of the course start, with information and instructions. Admitted students are expected to register themselves (web registration). More about the course content : The course explores the conceptual prerequisites for scientific modeling when describing some aspect of reality. Students are given the opportunity to delve into contemporary debates about what models are, their structure, their usefulness and value, and their limitations. While the course thus provides philosophy students with an in-depth understanding of scientific thinking, it is also useful for students from the special sciences who are familiar with models, or who actually use them, in their field of science, and who want to understand this practice better. These topics are discussed using paradigmatic examples drawn from different scientific fields. These are introduced with an emphasis on their abstract structure, and no previous experien