ARS10801 Contemporary Philosophy I

Hiroshima University Syllabus

Japanese

Academic Year 2024Year School/Graduate School School of Integrated Arts and Sciences Department of Integrated Global Studies

Lecture Code ARS10801 Subject Classification Specialized Education

Subject Name Contemporary Philosophy I （哲学の諸問題 I）

Subject Name
（Katakana）テツガクノショモンダイ I

Subject Name in
English Contemporary Philosophy I

Instructor SHIMAMURA SHUHEI

Instructor
(Katakana) シマムラ　シュウヘイ

Campus Higashi-Hiroshima Semester/Term 2nd-Year,  First Semester,  2Term

Days, Periods, and Classrooms (2T) Thur1-2：IAS K204

Lesson Style Lecture Lesson Style
(More Details) 　

Note that you must register for both Contemporary Philosophy I and II.

Credits 1.0 Class Hours/Week 　 Language of Instruction E : English

Course Level 2 : Undergraduate Low-Intermediate

Course Area（Area） 23 : Arts and Humanities

Course Area（Discipline） 01 : Philosophy

Eligible Students

Keywords Induction and Deduction, Hypothetico-Deductive Method, Justification of Induction, Projectability, Falsificationism, Scientific Explanation, Scientific Realism Debate

Special Subject for Teacher Education 　 Special Subject 　

Class Status
within Educational
Program
(Applicable only to targeted subjects for undergraduate students)
Criterion referenced
Evaluation
(Applicable only to targeted subjects for undergraduate students) Integrated Global Studies
（Knowledge and Understanding）
・The knowledge and understanding of the important characteristics and basic theoretical framework of individual academic disciplines.
（Abilities and Skills）
・The ability to collect and analyze necessary literature or data among various sources of information in individual academic disciplines.
・The ability to summarize one's own research in reports or academic papers, deliver presentations at seminars or research meetings, and explain it in an easy way so that people in different cultures and areas of specialization understand.

Class Objectives
/Class Outline For those of us living in the modern world, science and technology are very familiar aspects of life. The goal of this class is to reconsider the question of "What is science?" by examining the workings of this familiar science anew. More specifically, the questions addressed in this class include:

    Why did science emerge in the West rather than in the East?
    How is the balance between theory and empirical evidence achieved in science?
    Where is the boundary between science and non-science?
    What does it mean to explain things scientifically?
    Is it true that science reveals the true nature of the world?

The field that addresses these questions about science is called "philosophy of science." The questions of philosophy of science have a slightly different nature from those of science itself. While answering scientific questions leads to understanding various phenomena, the aim of philosophy of science is to comprehend the activity of science itself. If, through addressing the questions mentioned above, the curious but puzzling aspects of science that were previously unnoticed become visible, then the goal of this class will have been achieved.

Class Schedule Lesson 1: Introduction: The Inseparable Relationship between Science and Philosophy
I. Questioning the Methods of Science: How can Science be "Speculative" without Being "an Armchair Theory"?
Lesson 2: Deduction and Induction
Lesson 3: Hypothetico-Deductive Method
Lesson 4: SD1: What's Mysterious about Science - Let's Put Simple Questions into Words
II. Doubting the Foundations of Science - Is Induction Really Reliable?
Lesson 5: Empiricism and Hume's Problem
Lesson 6: Crows and Emeralds - The Problem of Projectability
III. Science as Rational Intellectual Activity
Lesson 7: Falsificationism - What Happens If Induction is Expelled from Science?
Lesson 8: SD2: What Distinguishes Science from Pseudoscience?
IV. What Does It Mean to "Explain Scientifically"?
Lesson 9: From the Perspective of Inference
Lesson 10: From the Perspective of Causality
V. Scientific Realism vs. Scientific Anti-Realism - Can We Really Say "Electrons Exist"?
Lesson 11: Underdetermination of Theories
Lesson 12: Argument from Miracles and Pessimistic Metainduction
Lesson 13: Entity Realism
Lesson 14: SD3: In the End, What Do You Think?
Lesson 15: Preparation and Submission of A Short Essay--

Text/Reference
Books,etc. Adventures in the Philosophy of Science, by Kazuhisa Todayama, published by NHK Publishing, 2005.
Exploring the Ideas of Science: From Natural Philosophy to Modern Science, by Kokuichi Hashimoto, published by Sayusha, 2010.
The Rule-Following Paradox and Meaning, by Takashi Iida, published by NHK Publishing, 2016.
Pseudoscience and the Philosophy of Science, by Tetsuji Iseda, published by Nagoya University Press, 2003.
Philosophy of Science: A Very Short Introduction, by Samir Okasha (Author) and Satoru Hirose (Translator), published by Iwanami Shoten, 2008

PC or AV used in
Class,etc. 　

(More Details) PC-necessary

Learning techniques to be incorporated 　

Suggestions on
Preparation and
Review Lecture Sessions:
・A handout summarizing the key points of each session will be provided.
・The handout will also include references for the next session, aiding in preparation.
・At the end of each session, a brief quiz will be given to assess understanding of the key points. The following session will include explanations for these tests. If there are any parts of the test explanations that are unclear, please make sure to ask questions on the same day.
Workshop Sessions (3 sessions in total):
・These sessions put you, the participants, in the spotlight. Using a method called Silent Dialogue (SD), you will engage with various philosophical questions that you have formulated yourselves.
・Please prepare your own philosophical questions in advance for the SD discussions.
・The final short essay allows you to utilize the thoughts generated during the SD discussions as material.

Requirements Note that you must register for both Contemporary Philosophy I and II.

Grading Method Quiz (70%), Report (30%)

Practical Experience

Summary of Practical Experience and Class Contents based on it

Message Many people have experienced that mundane occurrences in their daily lives become intriguing when viewed from a different perspective learned through studying science. If we call this sensation the "sense of wonder," then the goal of this course is to evoke a "sense of wonder" towards science itself. Exploring science from various angles with such a sensation should never be in vain for all of you.

Bring a laptop to class.

Other

Please fill in the class improvement questionnaire which is carried out on all classes.
Instructors will reflect on your feedback and utilize the information for improving their teaching.

Academic Year	2024Year	School/Graduate School	School of Integrated Arts and Sciences Department of Integrated Global Studies
Lecture Code	ARS10801	Subject Classification	Specialized Education
Subject Name	Contemporary Philosophy I （哲学の諸問題 I）
Subject Name （Katakana）	テツガクノショモンダイ I
Subject Name in English	Contemporary Philosophy I
Instructor	SHIMAMURA SHUHEI
Instructor (Katakana)	シマムラ　シュウヘイ
Campus	Higashi-Hiroshima	Semester/Term	2nd-Year, First Semester, 2Term
Days, Periods, and Classrooms	(2T) Thur1-2：IAS K204
Lesson Style	Lecture	Lesson Style (More Details)
Note that you must register for both Contemporary Philosophy I and II.
Credits	1.0	Class Hours/Week		Language of Instruction	E : English
Course Level	2 : Undergraduate Low-Intermediate
Course Area（Area）	23 : Arts and Humanities
Course Area（Discipline）	01 : Philosophy
Eligible Students
Keywords	Induction and Deduction, Hypothetico-Deductive Method, Justification of Induction, Projectability, Falsificationism, Scientific Explanation, Scientific Realism Debate
Special Subject for Teacher Education		Special Subject
Class Status within Educational Program (Applicable only to targeted subjects for undergraduate students)
Criterion referenced Evaluation (Applicable only to targeted subjects for undergraduate students)	Integrated Global Studies （Knowledge and Understanding）・The knowledge and understanding of the important characteristics and basic theoretical framework of individual academic disciplines. （Abilities and Skills）・The ability to collect and analyze necessary literature or data among various sources of information in individual academic disciplines. ・The ability to summarize one's own research in reports or academic papers, deliver presentations at seminars or research meetings, and explain it in an easy way so that people in different cultures and areas of specialization understand.
Class Objectives /Class Outline	For those of us living in the modern world, science and technology are very familiar aspects of life. The goal of this class is to reconsider the question of "What is science?" by examining the workings of this familiar science anew. More specifically, the questions addressed in this class include: Why did science emerge in the West rather than in the East? How is the balance between theory and empirical evidence achieved in science? Where is the boundary between science and non-science? What does it mean to explain things scientifically? Is it true that science reveals the true nature of the world? The field that addresses these questions about science is called "philosophy of science." The questions of philosophy of science have a slightly different nature from those of science itself. While answering scientific questions leads to understanding various phenomena, the aim of philosophy of science is to comprehend the activity of science itself. If, through addressing the questions mentioned above, the curious but puzzling aspects of science that were previously unnoticed become visible, then the goal of this class will have been achieved.
Class Schedule	Lesson 1: Introduction: The Inseparable Relationship between Science and Philosophy I. Questioning the Methods of Science: How can Science be "Speculative" without Being "an Armchair Theory"? Lesson 2: Deduction and Induction Lesson 3: Hypothetico-Deductive Method Lesson 4: SD1: What's Mysterious about Science - Let's Put Simple Questions into Words II. Doubting the Foundations of Science - Is Induction Really Reliable? Lesson 5: Empiricism and Hume's Problem Lesson 6: Crows and Emeralds - The Problem of Projectability III. Science as Rational Intellectual Activity Lesson 7: Falsificationism - What Happens If Induction is Expelled from Science? Lesson 8: SD2: What Distinguishes Science from Pseudoscience? IV. What Does It Mean to "Explain Scientifically"? Lesson 9: From the Perspective of Inference Lesson 10: From the Perspective of Causality V. Scientific Realism vs. Scientific Anti-Realism - Can We Really Say "Electrons Exist"? Lesson 11: Underdetermination of Theories Lesson 12: Argument from Miracles and Pessimistic Metainduction Lesson 13: Entity Realism Lesson 14: SD3: In the End, What Do You Think? Lesson 15: Preparation and Submission of A Short Essay--
Text/Reference Books,etc.	Adventures in the Philosophy of Science, by Kazuhisa Todayama, published by NHK Publishing, 2005. Exploring the Ideas of Science: From Natural Philosophy to Modern Science, by Kokuichi Hashimoto, published by Sayusha, 2010. The Rule-Following Paradox and Meaning, by Takashi Iida, published by NHK Publishing, 2016. Pseudoscience and the Philosophy of Science, by Tetsuji Iseda, published by Nagoya University Press, 2003. Philosophy of Science: A Very Short Introduction, by Samir Okasha (Author) and Satoru Hirose (Translator), published by Iwanami Shoten, 2008
PC or AV used in Class,etc.
(More Details)	PC-necessary
Learning techniques to be incorporated
Suggestions on Preparation and Review	Lecture Sessions: ・A handout summarizing the key points of each session will be provided. ・The handout will also include references for the next session, aiding in preparation. ・At the end of each session, a brief quiz will be given to assess understanding of the key points. The following session will include explanations for these tests. If there are any parts of the test explanations that are unclear, please make sure to ask questions on the same day. Workshop Sessions (3 sessions in total): ・These sessions put you, the participants, in the spotlight. Using a method called Silent Dialogue (SD), you will engage with various philosophical questions that you have formulated yourselves. ・Please prepare your own philosophical questions in advance for the SD discussions. ・The final short essay allows you to utilize the thoughts generated during the SD discussions as material.
Requirements	Note that you must register for both Contemporary Philosophy I and II.
Grading Method	Quiz (70%), Report (30%)
Practical Experience
Summary of Practical Experience and Class Contents based on it
Message	Many people have experienced that mundane occurrences in their daily lives become intriguing when viewed from a different perspective learned through studying science. If we call this sensation the "sense of wonder," then the goal of this course is to evoke a "sense of wonder" towards science itself. Exploring science from various angles with such a sensation should never be in vain for all of you. Bring a laptop to class.
Other
Please fill in the class improvement questionnaire which is carried out on all classes. Instructors will reflect on your feedback and utilize the information for improving their teaching.

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