Info kursus

Course topics: 1. The basic definition of science: Definition of scientific rationality (universal, systematic, predictive, explanatory, critical, objective, exact nature of scientific investigation), the basic characteristics of science and scientific thought (scientific method, language, structure, critical thinking), the possibility of classification of the fields of scientific 2. Inductive and deductive method: Problem of the valid inductive argument within natural and social sciences, using the deductive thought processes in formal sciences, necessary character of deductive arguments 3. Idealization and abstraction in scientific study: The process of abstraction, the problem of abstract entities, idealization and way of its use in scientific study, construct and material idealization, the relationship between abstraction and idealization 4. Models and analogies: models and their types (iconic or scalable models, analogous models, or abstract mathematical models), making a modeling and its usage, relationship between models and analogies, and relationship between model and metaphor 5. The explanation in deductive science: Nomologic model of scientific explanation, scientific laws, alternative explanatory models (inductive - statistical, statistical relevance model, causal - mechanical model) 6. The structure of scientific theories scientific theories: The criteria of validity of scientific theories, hypothetico - deductive approach (standard view), model - theoretic approach (semantic concept), the problem of intertheoretic reduction 7. Deductive - hypothetical inference method of inference and the problem of confirmation of scientific hypotheses: deductive - hypothetical inference method (e.g. Boyle\'s law), relationship between inference and observational prediction, critique of HD method and its alternatives, the problem of qualitative confirmation and criteria of its validity (Hempel`s theory) 8. Scientific prediction: The problem of scientific prediction, relationship between prediction and causality, problem of nomologic causal dependence, causality as a transitive relationship (probabilistic concept of causality), theories of transference causality, probabilistic prediction and probability problem 9. The problem of observation: The problem of the nature of fact (data given), the process of observation, the problem of observation in the theory of quantum physics, the relationship between theory and observation and problem incommensurability 10. Scientific experiment: Epistemological nature of scientific experiment, the dual nature of the experimental investigation (method of agreement and method of difference – J.S. Mill\'s theory), methods of elimination of experimental errors 11. Reduction and reductive method: The problem of unification and unity of science, reduction and elimination, the types of reductions, interlevel reductions 12. Empirical research in the social sciences: The specific status of the social sciences, problem of qualitative and quantitative methods, the structure and characteristics of the empirical research, research process, scientific hypothesis, variables in scientific hypothesis, reliability and validity of scientific instruments and their types .

Supervisors and educators:
Mgr. Michal Zvarík, PhD. - Kogarant, Schvaľujúci zápis
prof. Mgr. Peter Šajda, PhD. - Zabezpečuje, Hlavný garant
doc. PhDr. Mária Dědová, PhD. - Kogarant
doc. Mgr. Anton Vydra, PhD. - Zabezpečuje, Zodpovedný za elearning, Schvaľujúci zápis, Vedúci semináru, Prednášajúci, Kogarant, Cvičiaci, Skúšajúci

Code: YFIm062

Period: LS

Credits: 5