Fagets videnskabsteori?
Tracking Interdisciplinarity in the Mandatory Philosophy of Science Course at the University of Copenhagen
By Katrine Meldgaard Kjær, 2014.
Report analysing 13 different courses philosophy of science courses ("Fagets videnskabsteori") at UCPH in regard to how they address interdisciplinarity. It is aimed at course planners and heads of studies.
A mapping of the mandatory philosophy of science course is key in the examination of the state of interdisciplinarity at UCPH for two central reasons: first and foremost, as will be outlined below, one of the explicitly stated aims with the introduction of a mandatory course for all Danish university students on the philosophy of science - or Fagets Videnskabsteori, as it is called in Danish ‐ was to foster cross-disciplinary understanding and outlook, and to provide BA students with a broader perspective on their respective disciplines. However, at the same time, the course was also required to be based from this discipline, hence the course name Fagets Videnskabsteori (the discipline’s philosophy of science). With the former aim in mind, this course can thus potentially work as a kind of ground zero for interdisciplinary education at UCPH, a space where students can be introduced to and guided in interdisciplinary work and research, and, not least, how this works together with disciplinary work and research. But how are these courses actually navigating between disciplinarity and interdisciplinairty? What kinds of perspectives are they passing on to students? And what kinds (if any) of tools are these courses providing the students with regarding interdisciplinary work and research? Second, as this is the only course that is obligatory for all Bachelor’s programs at Danish universities, it represents a unique chance to compare and contrast how the different departments are approaching the question of how disciplinary and interdisciplinary work interact.
This mapping of 13 courses of “Fagets videnskabsteori” shows that the approaches to the courses in the philosophy of science at UCPH are both many and multi-faceted. Hopefully future planners of courses of “Fagets videnskabsteori” can use the mapping in relation to what to consider when seeking to integrate an element of reflection on interdisciplinary issues and/or interdisciplinarity into a given course.