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Science 240 is a course about the nature of scientific inquiry, not a science course about nature. Given the privileged place of science in modern Western culture, it is important that we understand the nature of the scientific enterprise. One goal of this course is to challenge certain “myths” about science and to explore the limits of scientific knowledge. We will consider whether there is such a thing as “The scientific method”, whether there is an objective difference between between science and nonscience, whether there are questions that cannot in principle be answered by science, and whether acceptance of the theory of Darwinian evolution challenges current beliefs in God, morality, and human freedom.
Science 240 also meets the General Education Requirement in philosophical and ethical analysis. Consequently a second aim of the course is to sharpen skills of critical analysis and logical reasoning. You will be asked to identify and evaluate arguments in favor of various ideas about science, and to develop and defend your own views.
Some issues of special concern will be:
Are scientific theories provable by observation?
Is there a scientific method?
Is Intelligent Design theory scientific?
What, if anything, can science tell us about the origins and end of the universe?