Introduction to Philosophy of Science

The successes of science in the modern world are ubiquitous, and science as well as its successes are clearly important for understanding that world and our place in it. But what exactly makes one form of intellectual activity or social practice scientific? What distinguishes science from pseudo-science, and what, if anything, distinguishes it from other disciplines that aim at truth (e.g. philosophy)? In what sense *does* science aim at truth? What value, if any, does purely theoretical scientific inquiry have for us? Does commitment to scientific inquiry and taking its findings seriously leave any room for free will or God in our total comprehension of reality? These questions will be raised and considered in varying degrees of detail through an accessible set of readings, in-class discussion, and some short writing assignments.