180154 VO Theory and History of the Natural Sciences: A Survey (2015W)

The lecture gives a general view of the principles, methods and theories of the natural sciences. It illustrates examples ("case studies") from the history of science and explains the relations between natural science and philosophy in historical perspective. The following topics are included (with reference to history): Philosophy of science and history of science (as history of ideas and controversies) / What are natural sciences? / Natural science and common-sense knowledge / Myths of nature, natural philosophy, natural history, and natural science / Natural science, reality, objectivity / Natural science and the concept of nature / Dynamics of the development of science / Intuition, speculation, imagination / Trial and error / Chance, good and bad luck in scientific research / Are there scientific "revolutions"? / Experience: Observation, description, experiment / Classification / Hypothesis, theory, explanation, prediction / Induction and deduction / Verification and falsification / What are natural laws? / Reductionism / Quantity and Quality / Unity of natural sciences ? / Limits of natural sciences? / Natural science and the "big questions" (cosmos, life, mind) / Before the big bang? The factor of time in the natural sciences / Natural science and world view trough the ages / Natural science and human existence