This is an archived handbook for a previous year. The current undergraduate and postgraduate handbooks can be viewed using the links above.
Undergraduate Handbook 2016-2017 (archived)
Module THMN3077: History and Philosophy of Science
Department: Theology and Ministry
THMN3077: History and Philosophy of Science
| Type | Level | Credits | Availability | Module Cap | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | 3 | 10 | Available in 2016/2017 | Durham |
Pre-requisites
- None
Corequisites
- None
Excluded Combinations
- None
Aims
- To help students understand:
- 1. One important development in science and its impact on theology
- 2. The continuing debate in philosophy of science between realists and instrumentalists
- 3. Recent disputes about the rationality of science.
Content
- 1. The 'Copernican Revolution': Copernicus, Tycho, Kepler, Galileo.
- 2. The Galileo case, 1610-42: science, philosophy and theology.
- 3. Realism and instrumentalism
- 4. The Rationality of scientific development
Learning Outcomes
Subject-specific Knowledge
- On successful completion of the course the student will be able to:
- Assess the main theological, philosophical and scientific issues involved in the disputes over heliocentrism in the early seventeenth century.
- 2. Acquire a basic understanding of realism and instrumentalism.
Subject-specific Skills
Key Skills
- Assess recent disputes about the rationality of scientific progress.
Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module
- Lectures, discussion groups, group tutorials (with computer graphics and other visual aids). 14 hours contact time
Teaching Methods and Learning Hours
| Activity | Number | Frequency | Duration | Total Hours | Attendance Monitored |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | |||||
| Total | 0 | ||||
Summative Assessment
| Component | Component Weighting | Element | Length/Duration | Element Weighting | Resit Opportunity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essay | 100% | Essay | 2500 words | 100% |
Formative Assessment
In-class exercise
Students who do not attend monitored activities shown under Teaching Methods
and Learning Hours, or who fail to complete the summative or formative
assessment(s) specified above, may be subject to the Academic Progress
procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be
required to leave the University.