27387 - Methods of Scientific Knowledge

Learning outcomes

After completing the course, students have acquired the conceptual tools and the essential knowledge required to investigate in depth some philosophical issues related to scientific knowledge, framing them in the context of contemporary and Twentieth century epistemological thought.

Course contents

Please note that the "Knowledge and Skills to Be Acquired" section is not up to date.

The course aims to introduce participants to various systems of non-classical logic, exploring formal mechanisms but with a primary focus on their philosophical significance. No prior knowledge of formal logic is required.

Module 1

Elements of classical logic, particularly propositional logic, will be reviewed at the beginning of the course. We will then illustrate several systems of modal logic (the logic of necessity and possibility), which extend classical logic but are not incompatible with it. We will then introduce intuitionistic logic, in which principles such as the excluded middle and the elimination of double negation fail. We will then move on to polyvalent logics, in which a truth value is added to true and false. The liar paradox will also be introduced, demonstrating some initially plausible solutions.

Module 2

Elements of the first module will be reviewed at the beginning of the course. We will then focus on paraconsistent logics, which reject the principle of explosion, or ex-contradictione quodlibet, according to which any conclusion follows from an inconsistent set of premises, and we will discuss their philosophical motivations. Finally, time permitting, we will consider fuzzy logics, in which truth values are infinite, gradually moving from true to false, modal conditional logics, and non-monotonic logics.
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Readings/Bibliography

The default required readings are the following:

Teacher's notes

Dario Palladino e Claudia Palladino, Logiche non classiche. Un'Introduzione, Carocci, 2007

Francesco Berto e Lorenzo Bottai, Che cos'è una contraddizione, Carocci editore, 2015

It is possible to ask for some English texts in substitution of these.

Teaching methods

The course will be taught through lectures and extensive discussion of the content presented. Active student participation will be strongly encouraged.

Assessment methods

Written and oral examination.

Marks:

30 cum laude - excellent as to knowledge, philosophical lexicon and critical expression.

30 – Excellent: knowledge is complete, well argued and correctly expressed, with some slight faults.

27-29 – Good: thorough and satisfactory knowledge; essentially correct expression.

24-26 - Fairly good: knowledge broadly acquired, and not always correctly expressed.

21-23 – Sufficient: superficial and partial knowledge; exposure and articulation are incomplete and often not sufficiently appropriate

18-21 - Almost insufficient: superficial and decontextualized knowledge. The exposure of the contents shows important gaps.

Exam failed - Basic skills and knowledge are not sufficiently acquired. Students are requested to show up at a subsequent exam session.

Teaching tools

Power point slides will be used during lectures. at least occasionally.

Further materials (papers, slides) will be uploaded in the course website.

Students who, for reasons related to disabilities or specific learning disorders (DSA), require compensatory or dispensatory tools must first contact the appropriate office: https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/it/per-studenti

Office hours

See the website of Daniele Sgaravatti