Philosophy of Science in Policymaking

Aim

On completion of the course, the students should on an advanced level be able to:

• critically examine how different interpretations of theories, models, and data in science can influence policymaking
• explain philosophical questions concerning knowledge production in scientific work
• explain the differences between various types of inferences used in scientific reasoning
• reflect on the philosophical dimensions of how statistics and probability theory are used in scientific reasoning

Content

The course covers the philosophy of science, including issues related to probability theory and statistics. The course addresses questions concerning how scientific knowledge relates to theories and models. For example, it discusses questions about a realistic understanding of scientific theories and models in relation to understanding them merely as empirically adequate tools. Furthermore, it addresses how scientific findings can be interpreted, understood, and used in policymaking.