Course Title:

Philosophy of Computer Science, CD5650

Duration:

Course is beginning in January 2004.
We meet three times, with start on Wednesday evening and finish on Friday afternoon:

Time between meetings is used for self-study and writing of essays.

Prerequisites:

At least 120 university course points.

Weight:

7.5 ECTS (5 points:  2 points article/ conference)

Level:

Specialized

Lecturers:

PI network members

Guest Lecturers:

Specialists within relevant fields

Assignments:

Essays and oral presentations on the topics to be handed in to course

Description-Objectives:

Course will give you insights in the methodology of Philosophy of Science as well as fundamental problems of Informatics, its ideas and relations to different sciences and Philosophy.

Teaching Methods

A combination of lectures, guest lectures, classroom discussions and oral presentations. The course is given in English.

Teaching Team: (PI-network members) + guest lecturers

Course Participants: PhD students and potential PhD students.

Reading Material:

No textbook covers the entire course, but the main textbook will be the newly published

The Blackwell Guide to the Philosophy of Computing and Information

(Blackwell Philosophy Guides), Luciano Floridi (Editor)

Some parts of the course are not in any textbook yet. As additional reading materials, number of different other sources (textbooks, journal articles, and similar) will be used. The course lecture notes will be published.

Syllabus

       I.      PHILOSOPHICAL FOUNDATIONS - LECTURES

• Introductory lecture: What is PI? - (Luciano Floridi)

• Physics as a traditional model  of the ideal science for Philosophy of Science (Lars-Göran Johansson)

• Philosophical Foundations of Mathematics and Logical-Mathematical Ideal of Knowledge (Anders Öberg)

       II.      METHODOLOGY, MODELLING AND SIMULATION - LECTURES & SEMINARS

·         Methodological Foundations of Computer Science (Erik Sandewall)

·         Philosophical Aspects of Modelling and Simulation (Kimmo Eriksson, Lars-Göran Johansson)

·         Critical Analysis of Computer Science Methodology (Björn Lisper, Jan Gustafsson)

      III.      MINI-CONFERENCE, ETHICAL AND SOCIETAL ASPECTS - SEMINARS & PRESENTATIONS

·         Information Ethics and Professional Issues (Peter Funk, Gordana Dodig-Crnkovic)

·         Presentations of student papers