Philosophy of science analyzes the structure of scientific theories, methods, and practices. It deals with problems such as:
- How are scientific explanations different from mythological or commonsense accounts of what goes on in the world around us?
- Can scientists prove their theories?
- If not, why does science work so well?
- Are the theories and methods used in biology, psychology, or the social sciences fundamentally different from those found in the physical sciences?
- If so, how?
- How can one distinguish between statistical correlations and causal connections?
- How can we characterize the roles of instruments and experiments in the generation of scientific knowledge?
- What do experiments prove, and what kind of knowledge do they yield?
The College of Arts