27387 - Methods of Scientific Knowledge

Learning outcomes

Students are guided to focus on and analyze topics and issues emerging from a methodological reflection on logic-mathematical knowledge and scientific investigation.

Course contents

Module 1: Induction and scepticism

This module aims to provide an introduction to some classic forms of the problem of scepticism, with a focus on scepticism about inductive methods. Various forms of sceptical paradox, “Cartesian” and Humean” paradoxes in particular, will be explained. They will be understood as problems that arise from tensions internal to our cognitive practices and our conception of knowledge. As already said, we will focus on the problem of induction, in a very broad sense, namely the problem of providing a justification for any ampliative method of inference, or even more generally any cognitive method that has an element of fallibility. Various forms of reply to these paradoxes will then be explained and discussed.

 

Module 2: Philosophy of cognitive science

This module aims to provide an introduction to philosophy of mind. Most of the course will focus on the debates about the relationship between mind and body and about the nature of mental contents in contemporary analytic philosophy. However, we will start by an historical introduction to the problem in western philosophy. We will also look at the relationship between philosophy of mind and cognitive sciences. Starting from the metaphor of the mind as an information computing machine, with functionalism, cognitive science seemed to provide a third way between materialism and dualism. Recent developments, however, indicate serious difficulites in understanding central aspects of the mind, such as consciusness and intentionality, inside that paradigm. 

Readings/Bibliography

Module 1

René Descartes, Meditations on First Philosophy, I and II meditation (any edition)

David Hume, An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, sections. IV and V

Wittgenstein, On Certainty, selection

Annalisa Coliva, Scetticismo. Dubbio, paradosso e conoscenza, Laterza 2012

Recommended readings (these texts are particularly recommended for students not attending the lectures regularly)

Daniele Sgaravatti, “Paradossi scettici”, APhEx, Portale Italiano di Filosofia analitica

http://www.aphex.it/index.php?Temi=557D0301220274032107040A777327

Leah Henderson, “The Problem of Induction” Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy

https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/induction-problem/

 

Module 2

Sandro Nannini, L'anima e il corpo. Un'introduzione storica alla filosofia della mente, Laterza 2021

Testi consigliati

Alfredo Paternoster, Introduzione alla filosofia della mente, Laterza 2010

Diego Marconi, Filosofia e scienza cognitiva, Laterza 2001

Massimo Marraffa e Alfredo Paternoster, Persone, menti, cervelli. Storia, metodi e modelli delle scienze della mente, Mondadori 2011

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.

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

Office hours

See the website of Daniele Sgaravatti