77992 - Philosophy of Social Sciences (1) (LM)

Learning outcomes

The course aims at providing a deep knowledge of the major issues tackled in the contemporary epistemological debate on the social sciences. Core methodological and conceptual aspects of history, archaeology, anthropology, economics, psychology and - partly - medicine are addressed. Students will get familiar with relevant debates in contemporary philosophy of the social sciences, and shall be able to analyse and discuss key topics on the construction of scientific knowledge in such disciplines.

Course contents

The course will discuss key issues surrounding theoretical and methodological aspects of the social sciences, with a specific focus on psychology and psychotherapy to be intended both as sciences and practices. These questions include: Are there any foundational principles to which different strands of psychology subscribe? How does psychotherapy accomplish its goals? What are its fundamental laws, principles, or mechanisms? How do these principles differ among different schools of psychotherapy?

The first week of the course will provide an introduction to some key philosophical problems connected with the assumptions, measurements, tools and practices of different social sciences. Starting with Week #2, we will move on to the discussion of a more specific set of questions surrounding psychology and psychotherapy, including reflections on the nature of wellbeing and the goals of therapy. Weeks #3-5 will be devoted to the exploration of three schools of psychotherapy – namely, psychoanalysis, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) – along with their theoretical tenets, methodological specificities, and epistemological issues concerning measurements and success conditions.

The final syllabus, including the complete list of readings and assignments, will be provided on the first day of class and then uploaded to Virtuale.

Readings/Bibliography

Below you can find some of the core readings we will discuss during the class, and additional recommendations will be provided during the course. All the readings and relevant chapters will be made available on Virtuale.

Required Readings

• Risjord,M. (2014). Philosophy of Social Science. A Contemporary Introduction. Routledge. (selected chapters)
• Alexandrova, A. (2017). A Philosophy for the Science of Well-Being. Oxford University Press. (selected chapters)
• Kitcher, P. (1992). Freud's Dream: A Complete Interdisciplinary Science of Mind. MIT Press (selected chapters)
• Freud, S. (1939). An Outline of Psychoanalysis.
• Beck, A. (1979). Cognitive Therapy and Emotional Disorders. Meridian. (selected chapters)
• Linehan, M. (2020). Building a Life Worth Living. Random House. (selected chapters)

• Additional readings

• Cartwright, N. & Montuschi, E. (2015). Philosophy of Social Science: A New Introduction. Oxford University Press. (selected chapters)
• Freud, S. (1905). On Psychotherapy. Standard Editio
• Freud, S. (1913). On Beginning the Treatment. Standard Edition.
• Freud, S. (1937). Analysis Terminable and Interminable. Standard Edition
• Beck, A. T. (1996). Beyond belief: A theory of modes, personality, and psychopathology. Frontiers of cognitive therapy (pp. 1–25). The Guilford.
• Gipps, R. G. T. (2013). Cognitive behavior therapy: A philosophical appraisal. In K. W. M. In M. Fulford, R. G. T. Davies, G. Gipps, J. Z. Graham, G. Sadler, Stanghellini, & T. Thornton (Eds.), The Oxford Handbook of Philosophy and Psychiatry (Vol. 1, pp. 1245–1263). Oxford University Press.
• Grodniewicz, J. P. (2024). Belief revision in psychotherapy. Synthese
• Ratnayake, S. (2019). The problem of mindfulness. AEON
• Ratnayake, S. & Merry, R. (2018). Forgetting Ourselves: Epistemic Costs and Ethical Concerns in Mindfulness Exercises. Journal of Medical Ethics.
• Linehan, M. & Wilks, C. (2015). The Course and Evolution of Dialectical Behavior Therapy. American Journal of Psychotherapy.

Teaching methods

I am committed to making this class an interactive, fruitful, and effective learning experience. This a discussion-based class, where more traditional – but still interactive – lectures will be complemented by debates, exchange of ideas, class presentations, and a wide range of in-class and take-home activities. Special attention will be devoted to the development of core philosophical skills such as reading, writing, and debating through the discussion of the class topics. More details on class format will be introduced during the first day of class, part of which will be devoted to the illustration of the teaching methodology.

Assessment methods

The final grade will result from various components, including:

a) Participation in the in-class activities, including the submission of mini-assignments throughout the course (20%);

b) In-class presentation on one paper over the course of the class (30%). Each presentation should include a brief summary of the main argument, a short discussion of 2-3 points of the text that you find interesting or relevant, and some further questions that will fuel class discussion. Be prepared to talk for 15-20 minutes, and to lead a short discussion afterwards. Presentation and discussion times may vary and will be established based on the class size.

c) Final paper project (50%): You will be required to write a 5,000 word paper (about 8-10 pages) based on one or more topics discussed in class. During the last week of class, we will have the chance to discuss the outline of your paper, so that we can devote some time to strengthening your argument. The final paper should be submitted via email to the instructor no later than 10 days before the relevant exam date. 

Students who are not participating in the class are encouraged to get in touch with the instructor to talk about alternative ways of assessing preparation. You can set up an appointment on my webpage.

Excellent grades (28-30, A equivalent) will be assigned to students who demonstrate a thorough knowledge of the material discussed in class, critical thinking and analytical skills, and the ability to express concepts clearly and convincingly. Average to good grades (23-27, B equivalent) will be assigned to students who exhibit good understanding of the material but fall short of conceptual elaboration and/or connections among the topics discussed throughout the course – e.g., they present the material piecemeal but fail to see how it hangs together. Students who exhibit superficial knowledge, gaps in preparation, poor critical and analytical skills will receive average to low grades (18-22, C equivalent). Severe gaps in one or more of the areas listed above can result in a failing grade (below 18, D or F equivalent).

Exam sessions
During the 2025/2026 academic year, exam sessions will be scheduled in the following months: June, July, September, October, January, March

Students with disabilities

Students with disabilities have the right to special adjustments according to their condition, following an assessment by the University Service for Students with Disabilities. Please do not contact the instructor, but get in touch with the University Service directly to determine the appropriate adjustments. The Service will then determine what adjustments are appropriate, and get in touch with the teacher. For more information, please visit the page:

https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en/for-students.

Students should contact the University Service in advance: any proposed adjustment must be submitted at least 15 days before the exam for the instructor’s approval, who will evaluate the appropriateness in relation to the learning objectives of the course.

Teaching tools

I will avail myself of a wide range of tools to support teaching and facilitate participation while acknowledging a variety of learning styles. Besides Power point and Prezi, I will use paper handouts as well as software such as Slido, Kahoot, and Wooclap.

Office hours

See the website of Valentina Petrolini