PHIL2304 - Understanding Scientific Inquiry

PHIL 2304 Understanding Scientific Inquiry (3 semester credit hours) A course on the nature, processes, and evaluation of scientific reasoning, scientific method, and scientific inquiry. The actual scientific process is distinguished from the inaccurate stereotype presented in many popular venues, including textbooks, the press, and the scientific journal article. The complex pattern of scientific inquiry is examined, including the processes of observation, reasoning, and experimentation that comprise it, as well as the formal methods that scientists use to assist them in these tasks. Several cases from the history of science are examined that exemplify various parts of the scientific process. Students will learn how to apply the basics of statistical and causal reasoning, as well as to understand and evaluate the uses of scientific evidence in policy-making and personal decision-making. (3-0) R