OVERVIEW

Some general topics of philosophy of science will be scrutinized in more depth, focusing on philosophy of medicine and psychiatry.

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

This course aims at consolidating the main topics learned during the undergraduate course of Philosophy of science, analyzing notions such as scientific theory, scientific explanation, theoretical change, realism and anti-realism. The above goals will be pursued focusing on medicine and psychiatry, thus introducing the main issues currently discussed in Philosophy of medicine and psychiatry.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

The aims of this course are: consolidating the main topics learned during the undergraduate course of Philosophy of science as well as the conceptual and terminological apparatus needed to argue in a clear and rigorous way about scientific problems; analyzing in more depths relevant notions such as scientific theory, scientific explanation, theoretical change, realism and anti-realism, especially focusing on special sciences such as medicine and psychiatry; learning to critically evaluate the main issues currently discussed in the Philosophy of medicine and psychiatry.

At the end of the course, the student will be able to: understand, explain, and resume advanced texts in Philosophy of science, with an appropriate conceptual and terminological apparatus; apply the analytical tools of philosophical reasoning to the discussion of new scientific problems, especially with regard to the Philosophy of medicine and psychiatry; critically evaluate current scientific issues, advancing arguments and counter-arguments.

PREREQUISITES

It would be useful having already attended to an undergraduate course in Philosophy of science

TEACHING METHODS

Lectures and students' presentations. External scholars could be invited to discuss specific issues.

As this course is part of a project of didactic innovation, students will be involved in seminar activities with a strong participatory and interactive character. Some of these activities will be in common with Teorie morali contemporanee LM.

Students must register to Aulaweb to obtain relevant teaching material.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

Some general topics of the Philosophy of science will be analyzed with respect to the Philosophy of medicine and psychiatry. Should medicine be considered a science? Should psychiatry be considered a specialty of medicine? What is disease / mental disorder? Could mental disorders be reduced to brain dysfunctions? Are diseases / mental disorders natural kinds or social constructions? What kind of explanation is medical and psychiatric explanation?

A part of the course (in common with Teorie morali contemporanee LM) will deal with the epistemological and ethical consequences of clinical cases.

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

Students regularly attending the course

1) One volume among the followings:

- Amoretti, M.C. (2015), Filosofia e medicina. Pensare la salute e la malattia, Carocci.

- Amoretti, M.C., Lalumera, E. (a cura di) (2017). Psichiatria e scienze cognitive. Focus di Sistemi intelligenti + D. Murphy, The medical model and the philosophy of science(aulaweb).

- Bolton, D. (2019), The Biopsychosocial Model of Health and Disease. New Philosophical and Scientific Developments, Palgrave (kindle gratuito)

- Canguilhem, G. (1998), Il normale e il patologico, Einaudi.

- Guerini, R., Marraffa, M. (2019), Psicopatologia e scienze della mente. Dalla psichiatria organicistica alla neuropsichiatria cognitiva, Carocci (parte I e parte IV).

- Hacking I. (2004), I viaggiatori folli. Lo strano caso di Albert Dadas, Carocci + Lalumera, E. (2018) "Filosofia della psichiatria", Aphex. 

- Frances, A. (2013), Primo, non curare chi è normale. Contro l'invenzione delle malattie,Bollati Boringhieri.

2) A presentation in class on a relevant topic.

3) Students who never attended an undergraduate course of Philosophy of science must also read:

- Campaner R., Galavotti, M.C. Filosofia della scienza, EGEA, 2018.

Other relevant readings in English will be proposed to incoming students.

Other students

1) One volume among the followings:

- Cooper, R.V. 2007. Psychiatry and Philosophy of Science, McGill-Queen's University Press.

- Guerini, R., Marraffa, M. (2019), Psicopatologia e scienze della mente. Dalla psichiatria organicistica alla neuropsichiatria cognitiva, Carocci (parte I, parte II e parte IV).

- Thornton T. (2007), Essential Philosophy of Psychiatry, Oxford University Press. 

2) One volume among the followings:

- Amoretti, M.C. (2015), Filosofia e medicina. Pensare la salute e la malattia, Carocci.

- Amoretti, M.C., Lalumera, E. (a cura di) (2017). Psichiatria e scienze cognitive. Focus di Sistemi intelligenti + D. Murphy, The medical model and the philosophy of science(aulaweb).

- Bolton, D. (2019), The Biopsychosocial Model of Health and Disease. New Philosophical and Scientific Developments, Palgrave (kindle gratuito)

- Canguilhem, G. (1998), Il normale e il patologico, Einaudi.

- Hacking I. (2004), I viaggiatori folli. Lo strano caso di Albert Dadas, Carocci + Lalumera, E. (2018) "Filosofia della psichiatria", Aphex.

- Frances, A. (2013), Primo, non curare chi è normale. Contro l'invenzione delle malattie,Bollati Boringhieri.

3) Students who never attended an undergraduate course of Philosophy of science must also read:

- Campaner R., Galavotti, M.C. Filosofia della scienza, EGEA, 2018.

Other relevant readings in English will be proposed to incoming students.

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

Exam Board

MARIA CRISTINA AMORETTI (President)

MARCELLO FRIXIONE

MICHELE MARSONET (Substitute)

DAVIDE SERPICO (Substitute)

LESSONS

LESSONS START

9 March 2021

Class schedule

PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

Students regularly attending: presentation in class and oral examination. 

Others: oral examination.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

Students regularly attending: the presentation in class (20pt over 30) will evaluate the ability to apply the analytical tools of philosophical reasoning to the discussion of new scientific problems, especially with regard to the Philosophy of medicine and psychiatry as well as the ability to critically evaluate current scientific issues, advancing arguments and counter-arguments; oral examination (10pt over 30) will evaluate the capacity to understand, explain, and resume advanced texts in Philosophy of science, with an appropriate conceptual and terminological apparatus.

Others: oral examination will evaluate the capacity to understand, explain, and resume advanced texts in Philosophy of science, with an appropriate conceptual and terminological apparatus (10pt over 30); the ability to apply the analytical tools of philosophical reasoning to the discussion of new scientific problems, especially with regard to the Philosophy of medicine and psychiatry (10pt over 30); and the ability to critically evaluate current scientific issues, advancing arguments and counter-arguments (10pt over 30).

Exam schedule