LOGIC AND PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE 2

The course provides knowledge and competences complementary tho those of Logic and Philosophy of Science / 1. It focuses, in particular, on the logic, methodology and philosophy of the social sciences.
The course addresses the following topics:
- the status, scope, and methodologies of social sciences;
- the concepts of rationality in economic science;
- alternative conceptions of value, utility, probability,
- the roles of models in the social sciences
- possible assumptions of social welfare policies

Ability to reflect on the significance and status of scientific descriptions, explanations and predictions, in the social sciences.
Ability to understand and evaluate alternative models and arguments in the social sciences.
Knowledge of concrete examples in which different epistemologic approaches and models are at work.
Ability to recognise and discuss philosophical assumptions of social and economic theories and to evaluate consequences of philosophical positions for empirical research in the social science.
Understanding of the logical structure and theoretical assumptions underpinning the different conceptions of rationality in the social sciences and in economics in particular.
Ability to understand the conceptual and epistemological structures undersying the use of concepts like value, utility and probability in the social sciences (and in economics, particularly).
Ability to grasp the social and political consequences of alternative philosophical, epistemological and scientific positions in economics and other social sciences.

Logic and Philosophy of Science / 1 is an important framework to appreciate and understand the themes addressed by the course. It is, furthermore, important to consider that the course contents are designed for SECOND year students: first year students may have difficulties understanding concepts, theses, and methods used in social sciences and presupposed by the course.

Topic 1
The status of social sciences
- The status of social sciences
- Analogies and differences between social sciences and other sciences
- Descriptive, explanatory, predictive and prescriptive uses of social science
- Empirical generalisations, causal explanations, lawful correlations in social domains
- The ethical and political significance of social sciences

Topic 2
Building blocks: Value, utility, and preference
- The subjectivity and objectivity of utility
- Axioms of utility theory (and their truth)
- Competing theories of utility
- The maximisation of Expected Utility
- Money pump arguments
- Axioms of preference theory and RPT
- Paradoxes and exceptions
- The relevance of cultural contexts and cultural diversity

Topic 3
Techniques of analysis: probability, its significance and interpretation
- Risk and uncertainty
- The “logic” of probability and its axioms
- “Dutch Book” arguments and the interpretation of probability
- Personalism, frequentism, propensity theories

Topic 4
Assumptions: The concept of economic rationality, axioms and principles
- Decision theoretic models of economic rationality
- Game theoretic models of economic rationality
- Maximisation of expected utility
- Strict and week dominance, and equilibrium
- Mixed strategies
- Game theory as a theoretical tool for social sciences
- Game theory as a possible bridge between social and natural sciences?

Topic 5
Social Sciences and Social Policies
- Assumptions of social policies
- Approaches to welfare
- Intepersonal comparisons of utility
- "Aristotelian" approaches
- Ontological and methodological issues

MAIN REFERENCES
1. Humphreys, Paul (ed.): The Oxford Handbook of Philosophy of Science. Oxford: Oxford University Press 2016
In particular:
- Humphreys, Paul: "Introduction: New Directions in Philosophy of Science" (1-12)
- Guala, Francesco: "Philosophy of the Social Sciences: Naturalism and Anti-naturalism in the Philosophy of Social Science" (43-64)
- Hansson, Sven Ove: "Science and Non-Science (485-505)

2. Kincaid, Harold (ed.): The Oxford Handbook of Philosophy of Social Science. Oxford: Oxford University Press 2012
In particular:
- Kincaid, Harold: "Introduction: Doing Philosophy of Social Science" (3-20)
- Ylikoski, Petri: "Micro, Macro, and Mechanisms" (21-45)
- Goertz, Gary: "Descriptive-Causal Generalizations: 'Empirical Laws' in the Social Sciences?" (85-108)
- Risjord, Mark: "Models of Culture" (387-408)
- Guala, Francesco: "The Evolutionary Program in Social Philosophy" (436-457)

3. Kincaid, Harold, and Don Ross (eds.): The Oxford Handbook of the Philosophy of Economics. Oxford: Oxford University Press 2009
In particular:
- Ross, Don, and Harold Kincaid: "The New Philosophy of Economics" (3-34)
- Hausman, Daniel M.: "Laws, Causation, and Economic Methodology" (35-54)
- Rosenberg, Alex: "If Economics Is a Science, What Kind of Science Is It?" (55-67)
- Binmore, Ken: "Interpersonal Comparisons of Utility" (540-559)
- Agner, Erik: "Subjective Measures of Well-Being: Philosophical Perspectives" (560-579)
- Dasgupta, Partha: "Facts and Values in Modern Economics" (580-640)

4. Reiss, Julian: Philosophy of Economics: A Contemporary Introduction. Abingdon: Routledge 2013
In particular: (1-11); (15-26); (27-81); (117-141); (209-229)

SUGGESTED READINGS
Giannasi, Matteo and Francesco Casarin: Philosophy of Marketing: The New Realist Approach. Abingdon: Routledge 2022
Guala, Francesco: Understanding Institutions. Princeton: Princeton University Press 2016
Haussman, Daniel, M.: The Philosophy of Economics: An Anthology. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press 2007
Montuschi, Eleonora: "Application of Models from Social Science to Social Policy" in Magnani, Lorenzo and Tommaso Bertolotti (eds.) Springer Handbook of Model-Based Science. Berlin: Springer 2017 (1103-1116)
Montuschi, Eleonora: The Objects of Social Science. London: Continuum 2003
Ross, Don: Philosophy of Economics. London: Palgrave 2014
Searle, John R.: Making the Social World: The Structure of Human Civilization. Oxford: Oxford University Press 2010

The final test will be written and consist of a series of questions regarding the contents of the course and the main bibliography

Students will be requested to show their knowledge of the course contents, with particular reference to:
a) main concepts
b) main claims or theses in which such concepts play a role
c) philosophical questions and problems underlying such claims and concepts
d) main positions and perspectives in contemporary epistemological debates
e) scientific and social consequences of the main philosophical positions

It is recommended to focus on the following texts for the preparation of the final test:
1. Humphreys, Paul (ed.): The Oxford Handbook of Philosophy of Science. Oxford: Oxford University Press 2016
In particular:
- Humphreys, Paul: "Introduction: New Directions in Philosophy of Science" (1-12)
- Guala, Francesco: "Philosophy of the Social Sciences: Naturalism and Anti-naturalism in the Philosophy of Social Science" (43-64)
- Hansson, Sven Ove: "Science and Non-Science (485-505)

2. Kincaid, Harold (ed.): The Oxford Handbook of Philosophy of Social Science. Oxford: Oxford University Press 2012
In particular:
- Kincaid, Harold: "Introduction: Doing Philosophy of Social Science" (3-20)
- Ylikoski, Petri: "Micro, Macro, and Mechanisms" (21-45)
- Goertz, Gary: "Descriptive-Causal Generalizations: 'Empirical Laws' in the Social Sciences?" (85-108)
- Risjord, Mark: "Models of Culture" (387-408)
- Guala, Francesco: "The Evolutionary Program in Social Philosophy" (436-457)

3. Kincaid, Harold, and Don Ross (eds.): The Oxford Handbook of the Philosophy of Economics. Oxford: Oxford University Press 2009
In particular:
- Ross, Don, and Harold Kincaid: "The New Philosophy of Economics" (3-34)
- Hausman, Daniel M.: "Laws, Causation, and Economic Methodology" (35-54)
- Rosenberg, Alex: "If Economics Is a Science, What Kind of Science Is It?" (55-67)
- Binmore, Ken: "Interpersonal Comparisons of Utility" (540-559)
- Agner, Erik: "Subjective Measures of Well-Being: Philosophical Perspectives" (560-579)
- Dasgupta, Partha: "Facts and Values in Modern Economics" (580-640)

4. Reiss, Julian: Philosophy of Economics: A Contemporary Introduction. Abingdon: Routledge 2013
In particular: (1-11); (15-26); (27-81); (117-141); (209-229)

Standard lectures, small social experiments and workshops

English

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written

This subject deals with topics related to the macro-area "Human capital, health, education" and contributes to the achievement of one or more goals of U. N. Agenda for Sustainable Development