210.054 (17S) Feminist Approaches to the Philosophy of Science

Sommersemester 2017

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First course session
20.04.2017 09:00 - 14:00 N.1.43 On Campus
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Overview

Lecturer
Course title german Feminist Approaches to the Philosophy of Science
Type Proseminar (continuous assessment course )
Hours per Week 2.0
ECTS credits 4.0
Registrations 9 (30 max.)
Organisational unit
Language of instruction English
Course begins on 20.04.2017
eLearning Go to Moodle course

Time and place

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Course Information

Teaching methodology including the use of eLearning tools

Presentations and discussion

Course content

Feminist approaches are, explicitly, politically and socially engaged philosophical perspectives. As such, they seem prima facie incompatible with the entire scientific project, which is still widely taken to be purely objective. Can our objectivist “image of science” be reconciled with feminist approaches, or does this very image of science require important alterations if we are to accommodate feminist socio-political and epistemological concerns? And if so, what would these alterations be, and what would a “feminist image of science” look like? Broadly put, these are the questions that inform the aims of the course and the selection of its texts. There is a diverse array of feminist approaches to such questions. Three competing views—standpoint theory (e.g. Alison Wylie, Sally Haslanger), feminist contextual empiricism (e.g. Helen Longino) and feminist postmodernism (e.g. Donna Haraway, Karen Barad)—have been particularly dominant, and will form the backbone of the course. We will begin, however, with an introduction to the epistemology of situated knowers, which is both the starting point for most feminist approaches to science, and the source of many of the challenges it faces. Classes will be conducted as interactive group discussions. 

Literature

Helen Logino, Alison Wylie, Donna Haraway, Sandra Harding, Karen Barad, Evelyn Fox Keller.

PDFs for all the texts will be provided.

Teaching methodology including the use of eLearning tools

Presentations and discussion

Course content

Feminist approaches are, explicitly, politically and socially engaged philosophical perspectives. As such, they seem prima facie incompatible with the entire scientific project, which is still widely taken to be purely objective. Can our objectivist “image of science” be reconciled with feminist approaches, or does this very image of science require important alterations if we are to accommodate feminist socio-political and epistemological concerns? And if so, what would these alterations be, and what would a “feminist image of science” look like? Broadly put, these are the questions that inform the aims of the course and the selection of its texts. There is a diverse array of feminist approaches to such questions. Three competing views—standpoint theory (e.g. Alison Wylie, Sally Haslanger), feminist contextual empiricism (e.g. Helen Longino) and feminist postmodernism (e.g. Donna Haraway, Karen Barad)—have been particularly dominant, and will form the backbone of the course. We will begin, however, with an introduction to the epistemology of situated knowers, which is both the starting point for most feminist approaches to science, and the source of many of the challenges it faces. Classes will be conducted as interactive group discussions. 

Literature

Helen Logino, Alison Wylie, Donna Haraway, Sandra Harding, Karen Barad, Evelyn Fox Keller.

PDFs for all the texts will be provided.

Examination information

Im Fall von online durchgeführten Prüfungen sind die Standards zu beachten, die die technischen Geräte der Studierenden erfüllen müssen, um an diesen Prüfungen teilnehmen zu können.

Examination methodology

Two short research papers (~1500 words each, 45% of the overall grade each) and one presentation (10% of the overall grade)

Examination methodology

Two short research papers (~1500 words each, 45% of the overall grade each) and one presentation (10% of the overall grade)

Grading scheme

Grade / Grade grading scheme

Position in the curriculum

  • Non degree programme Gender Studies (SKZ: 600b, Version: 04W)
    • Subject: Einführung in die Feministische Wissenschaft / Gender Studies (Compulsory subject)
      • Einführung in Gender Studies ( 2.0h VU / 4.0 ECTS)
        • 210.054 Feminist Approaches to the Philosophy of Science (2.0h PS / 4.0 ECTS)
  • Bachelor's degree programme Philosophy (SKZ: 541, Version: 16W.1)
    • Subject: Theoretische Philosophie (Compulsory elective)
      • Theoretische Philosophie ( 0.0h VO, PS, SE / 36.0 ECTS)
        • 210.054 Feminist Approaches to the Philosophy of Science (2.0h PS / 4.0 ECTS)
          Absolvierung im 1., 2., 3., 4., 5., 6. Semester empfohlen
  • Bachelor's degree programme Philosophy (SKZ: 541, Version: 10W.2)
    • Subject: Theoretische Philosophie (Compulsory elective)
      • Theoretische Philosophie ( 0.0h XX / 36.0 ECTS)
        • 210.054 Feminist Approaches to the Philosophy of Science (2.0h PS / 4.0 ECTS)
  • Master's degree programme Philosophy (SKZ: 941, Version: 10W.1)
    • Subject: Theoretische Philosophie und ihre Geschichte (Compulsory elective)
      • Theoretische Philosophie und ihre Geschichte ( 0.0h XX / 24.0 ECTS)
        • 210.054 Feminist Approaches to the Philosophy of Science (2.0h PS / 4.0 ECTS)
  • Erweiterungscurriculum Gender Studies (Version: 16W.1)
    • Subject: Vertiefende LVs der Gender Studies (Compulsory subject)
      • Seminar oder Proseminar Gender ( 0.0h PS,SE / 8.0 ECTS)
        • 210.054 Feminist Approaches to the Philosophy of Science (2.0h PS / 4.0 ECTS)

Equivalent courses for counting the examination attempts

This course is not assigned to a sequence of equivalent courses