- Learning to reflect on the philosophical, ethical and societal dimensions of science
- Learning to connect scientific developments with broader social and cultural trends
- Learning to use novels (genres of the imagination) as windows into the philosophical, ethical and societal dimensions of science
- Learning to apply core humanities concepts to analyse concrete scientific research practices
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The course is devoted to analyzing 'science novels', i.e. literary documents devoted to scientific research practices. These documents are interesting for at least two reasons. To begin with, they may help us to understand actual research practices (science novels as windows into laboratory life). Also, they may help us to understand societal responses to scientific developments.
In other words, literary documents may help us to define what is so special about scientific knowledge (in comparison with other types of knowledge), but they may also help us to address the societal dimensions of science (the interactions between scientific research activities and their social or cultural environment). Science novels are used as literary laboratories for conducting exploratory experiments (scenario studies) as windows into the future.
Unlike science fiction novels, science novels deal with recent developments in scientific research (notably fields such as genomics, ICT, nanoscience, neuroscience and environmental science). They explore (in an anticipatory manner) the societal impact of science as well as their impact on our worldview, the way we see ourselves and our role in nature. Science studies also explore the way in which new technologies and societal developments reshape research fields.
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