formerly M-FIL/02 Logic and Philosophy of Science

This field studies formal systems, open problems, and the foundations and methods of the sciences and technologies, considered both in their historical development and in their logical, epistemological, and ethical dimensions.
The Logic component of the field addresses forms of deductive and plausible reasoning in both formal and natural languages. It includes the study of abstract structures that arise from the analysis of the foundations of individual sciences, the foundational and metatheoretical aspects of formal systems, and the implicit assumptions and philosophical implications of such systems.
The Philosophy of Science component investigates the relationship between scientific worldviews and common sense, the justification and discovery of scientific theories, and the philosophical and methodological aspects of both pure and applied sciences, including their historical and social development. Examples include reflections on the objectivity of knowledge, the nature and role of mathematics, the metaphysical implications of scientific theories and hypotheses, natural and artificial cognition, the ethical implications and logical/foundational consequences of the life sciences, artificial intelligence, and robotics, as well as the foundations of the social and economic sciences.
Finally, the field also explores disciplinary content and methodologies specific to teaching, in relation to the issues at the heart of its research