Studying Philosophy, Logic and Scientific Method at LSE

Hiya, I'm currently applying for universities (2015 entry), in particular I'm looking to do a philosophy degree.

So far at philosophy A-level I've looked at elements of epistemology, philosophy of religion, philosophy of mind and the free will vs determinism debate. The course LSE offers intrigues me, however the whole scientific element is new to me and I'm not entirely sure what to expect.

I was wondering if anyone who has done this course/knows about it could give me an insight on some of the themes involved and also general opinions about the course before I consider applying?

Thank you very much! :biggrin:

Reply 1

benq

Original post by lozdigz

From the information available on their website, as well as via listening to some people with first-hand experience, I can say that it's a very logic & philosophy of science dominated degree. This means that the majority of modules are heavily logic-based, while the most frequent theme you will be interacting with will be science, whether natural science (biology, physics, etc) or social science (economics, sociology, etc). You will be studying topics such as how science interacts with policy making, the scientific revolutions and their history, ethics in science, reliability of scientific method as well as its nature, etc. If you enjoy that, as well as advanced logic including mathematical logic and set theory, then the course is for you.

For some people the downside will be the lack of ancient philosophy and the history of philosophy in general. Also, the course is very analytic so don't expect to study a lot of continental philosophy, if any at all. However, if you prefer the more methodological sciences-driven side of philosophy, as well as the logic element, then you will definitely be able to appreciate this lovely degree. Good luck :smile:

(edited 9 years ago)

London School of Economics

London

Reply 2

Protagoras

Well as it states it's more to do with the scientific methods which is more mathematics.

As already said it is all about the methodological side of things.

What I would do with this degree is look to working in government and public policy.

So looking at the Government Operational Research Service

PH203 Philosophy of the Social Science
PH220 Scientific Method and Policy
PH211 Philosophy of Economics
PH222 Philosophy and Public Policy

LSE graduate programmes are expensive compared to most so consider University College London's MSc Public Policy

My advice (as a graduate :smile:

) is to get in an industrial placement also..

Reply 3

Protagoras

Government Operational Research Service

More than 25 Government departments and agencies rely on our OR Analysts to help them find solutions to complex management problems. Solutions vital to improving the quality of life for millions of people across the UK. But what is it that our OR Analysts do?

Simply put, Operational Research brings intellectual rigour to the decision-making process. By looking closely at complex systems, and developing models that predict the way they behave, our Analysts can bring a new perspective to the way problems are tackled.

For our people, solving the problem at hand is everything. They're also able to work with colleagues in areas such as economics, statistics, social research and science.

University College London
M.Sc. Public Policy
Jeremy Bentham and the Utilitarian Tradition
British Government and Politics
Public Management: Theories and Innovations
Advanced Quantitative Methods
Advanced Qualitative Methods
Public Policy Economics and Analysis
Theories and Actors of the Policy Process

London School of Economics and Political Science
B.Sc. Philosophy, Logic and Scientific Method
Empirical Research in Government
Governing Knowledge: Foundational Issues in Science Policy (H)
Evidence and Policy (H)
Public Economics
Philosophy of Economics

Industrial Placement at Government Operational Research Service

Operational Research Methods
Statistics for Management Sciences
Philosophy and Public Policy
Scientific Method and Policy
LSE100

Summer Analyst at

LSE100
Introduction to Political Science
Economics B
Logic
Reason, Knowledge and Values: An Introduction to Philosophy

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You might have completely different ideas of why you want to do this course but I have read some Philosophy of Science and whilst it is fascinating, I think you could have a more practical vision for this course. Working at GORS your methods are applicable to all government departments.

Go through the LSE and UCL website and find these modules maybe copy and paste them and highlight them so to get a good idea of what I am saying.