module
Undergraduate Module Descriptor
PHL2026: Philosophy of Science
This module descriptor refers to the 2023/4 academic year.
Module Content
Syllabus Plan
Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover some or all of the following topics:
- Induction—Justification
- Induction—Description
- Popper and falsificationism
- Kuhn—Paradigms and progress
- Kuhn—Incommensurability
- Realism and anti-realism
- The no-miracles argument
- The Pessimistic meta-induction
- Theories, models and experiments
- The Sociology of Scientific Knowledge
Learning and Teaching
This table provides an overview of how your hours of study for this module are allocated:
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 22 | 128 | 0 |
...and this table provides a more detailed breakdown of the hours allocated to various study activities:
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching activity | 22 | Weekly 2-hour lectures/seminars or 1 hour lecture + 1 hour seminar |
| Guided Independent study | 55 | 11 x 5 hours for course |
| Guided Independent study | 2 | Preparing for presentations |
| Guided Independent study | 36.5 | Reading for and writing of essay 1 |
| Guided Independent study | 36.5 | Reading for and writing of essay 2 |
Online Resources
This module has online resources available via ELE (the Exeter Learning Environment).