After a general introduction to philosophy of science and its the main problems will be studied. The first section will focus on the logical positivism and on the analytic project. In the second section, the methodology proper to science will be discussed. The third section will focus on the historic-sociological turn of philosophy of science. In the fourth and last section of the course, the main critiques against science and  the implicit values underneath the scientific practice will be discussed.

By the end of the course, the students should be able to:

• identify the object and methodologies of philosophy of science;
• describe the historical evolution of the discipline, identifying its stages and main protagonists;
• identify and discuss the main problems and themes of philosophy of science, using a rigorous terminology.

The course also aims at helping the students to develop their critical thinking, their argumentation capacities, and their writing and oral skills.