The course aims to inspire students to philosophically examine scientific explanation and scientific practice. It provides a general introduction to the New Mechanical Philosophy, which is a field within the philosophy of science. Early mechanical philosophical thoughts had not only been one of the origins of modern sciences but also enormously influenced modern sciences in both theoretical and practical senses. Then, the twentieth century has witnessed the emergence of engineering-mindedness in various sciences such as biology. Alongside this historical trend, scientists across various disciplines such as biology increasingly understand natural phenomena by searching for responsible mechanisms. The New mechanical Philosophy studies this contemporary mindset and the practices of mechanistic research.
The course further explores uses of the mechanistic concept in other disciplines (such as physics, social sciences, and engineering) to compare the commonalities and differences of "mechanistic explanation" across various fields. This interdisciplinary perspective will help students understand how life sciences can have conversations with other sciences in terms of knowledge development. Moreover, through discussion, students will gain insights into the cross-disciplinary application of terminology and concepts, deepening their philosophical understanding of biological mechanisms.