PHIL40430: Philosophical Issues in Science and Medicine

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• to engage students with philosophical issues arising in science and medicine
• to introduce central philosophical theories and concepts relevant to these issues
• to introduce key arguments for and against these theories
• to promote understanding of the relationship between historical and philosophical issues in science and medicine.

• Following an introductory session, which will provide an overview of the central philosophical issues in science and medicine and the relationships between them, there will be a series of seminars which will cover the central philosophical issues in science and medicine:
• The module will cover core issues in the philosophy of science, including the demarcation between science and non-science; causation; the role of experiment in science; natural kinds; scientific realism.
• Students will also cover philosophical issues in medicine and biomedical science, including philosophical approaches to some of the moral and conceptual issues raised by the beginning and end of human life, including criteria for human life, personhood and identity.
• In consultation with the Module Leader, students will choose a topic for their assessed essay. The essay's topic should normally come from one of the subject areas covered in the seminars. Topic proposals falling outside these areas will have to be approved by the Course Director.

Subject-specific Knowledge:

• At the end of the module students should have a familiarity with key philosophical theories and concepts concerning science and medicine.

Subject-specific Skills:

• By the end of the module students should be able to:
• demonstrate skills in understanding and interpreting philosophical theories and arguments concerning science and medicine in contemporary and historical perspective;
• analyse and evaluate central arguments for and against theories;
• write a critical and well-informed essay on a selected topic in the philosophy of science and/or medicine.

Key Skills:

• By the end of this course, students will be able to:
• Identify key debates in the philosophy of science and medicine
• Assess the strength of philosophical arguments for key areas of study
• Evaluate historical evidence and arguments for key areas of study
• Formulate a research question on a topic in the philosophy of science and medicine
• Communicate original thoughts on a chosen topic in the philosophy of science and medicine in the form of a summative essay.

• This module will be taught in 10 two-hour group seminars, and with individual tutorial sessions on the topic of the assessed essay.
• Each of the two-hour seminars will be led by a lecturer. The seminars include a short introduction to the topic by the lecturer; students' short presentations of key literature; and joint critical discussion of pre-read research publications (partly in group work).
• The individual tutorials (entitlement of up to 2 hours with the chosen supervisor) will support the student's work towards the assessed essay. They include discussion of the chosen research/ essay topic; guidance on relevant research methods and literature; development of a research plan and timetable; and feedback on essay drafts.Tutorials will not be centrally timetabled and should be organised directly between the student and their tutor as schedules permit.
• Feedback on the formative assignment will assist students in preparing the summative assignment
• These teaching and learning methods will support students in achieving Learning Outcomes 1-4 above. The 4 Learning Outcomes will be formally assessed by the essay.
• Though optional, students will also be expected to attend relevant research seminars, workshops or special lectures organised by the Department of Philosophy and the Centre for the History of Medicine and Disease.
• Students will also have the opportunity to attend, on a voluntary basis, the seminars for the MA in History of Medicine at the University of Newcastle.
• *Please note that these activities will not be centrally timetabled and should be organised directly between students and tutors as schedules permit.

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