HP201
The Ethics and Philosophy of Science
0.5 Credit

This course explores conceptual and ethical issues in science. Questions examined include: What is scientific knowledge and objectivity? Does science provide the one true description of reality or are there competing ways of knowing reality? Is science free of values and, if not, what sorts of values tend to guide the scientific enterprise? How should we understand expert to non-expert communication? Is there a morally ideal manner in which scientific results might be conveyed to nonexperts? What is the relationship between science, ethics, and technology? Do scientists have an ethical responsibility for the social impacts of their discoveries? What role should democratic institutions play in shaping scientific and technological research priorities?