Duration
45h SEM
Number of credits
| Master in philosophy, research focus | 10 crédits |
Lecturer
Language(s) of instruction
French language
Organisation and examination
All year long, with partial in January
If a student fails an examination during the first term:
- They are permitted to resit the assessed subject during the second term (May-June);
Schedule
Units courses prerequisite and corequisite
Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program
Learning unit contents
N.B. The proposed organisation may be adapted depending on the number of students enrolled in the course.
The overal aim of this seminar is to examine a range of epistemological issues related to scientific practices in the natural and/or exact sciences. It also seeks to analyse concepts such as space, time, matter, causality, determinism and freedom, complexity, irreversibility, etc., at the intersection of science and philosophy.
In 2026-2027, the theme of the seminar will be: "Space and Time", following the programme below.
During Q1
24/9: Introduction - space and time in classical physics - the Leibniz-Clarke correspondence.
8/10: The spacetime of special relativity.
22/10: Eternalism and presentism - the passage of time - the Rietdijk-Putnam argument - time travel - free will and temporal determinism.
5/11: Time and change in Aristotle (with Alexandre Guay).
19/11: Cosmic explorations of time and space (with Yaël Nazé).
3/12: The arrows of time - entropy and statistical mechanics - the Past Hypothesis.
During Q2
Organisation and moderation of a round-table discussion on Carlo Rovelli's The Order of Time.
Presentation and discussion of the work of all enrolled students.
Learning outcomes of the learning unit
Identification and clarification of major scientific and philosophical concepts.
Articulating epistemological questions around concrete scientific problems.
Improvement of proficiency in scientific English.
Prerequisite knowledge and skills
Undergraduate-level training in philosophy or science.
Ability to read and understand scientific English.
Planned learning activities and teaching methods
The Philosophy of Science Seminar is organised only in even-numbered academic years.
In 2026-2027, the first term will be devoted to lectures given by the course instructors or invited colleagues, while the second term will focus primarily on the presentation and discussion of students' work.
Some of the sessions during the first term will require advance preparation through the reading of texts that will be distributed to students 15 days beforehand.
N.B. The organisation may be adapted depending on the number of students enrolled.
All students are required to attend every session. Active participation in seminar discussions forms an integral part of the assessment.
The seminar is bilingual: students may choose to speak in either French or English. Some lecture sessions will be conducted in French, others in English.
The first session will take place on Thursday, 24 September 2026, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Mode of delivery (face to face, distance learning, hybrid learning)
face-to-face<br /><br /> face-to-face
Course materials and recommended or required readings
Platform(s) used for course materials:
- eCampus
Further information:
Platform(s) used for course materials:
- eCampus
Further information:
Platform(s) used for course materials:
- eCampus
Further information:
A list of relevant references will be offered to all students on eCampus.
Exam(s) in session
Any session
- In-person
oral exam
Written work / report
Continuous assessment
Further information:
Exam(s) in session
Any session
- In-person
written exam AND oral exam
Further information:
Oral presentation
Written assignment - report
Continuous assessment
Additional information:
Oral presentation on a question chosen in agreement with the course instructors and related to the general theme of the seminar. The presentation will be discussed with the instructors and the other students. This discussion is intended to help clarify, expand, and improve the work in preparation for the final written version.
Written assignment (30,000-40,000 characters, including spaces) on the same question as the oral presentation, to be submitted by the first day of the examination period.
Organisation and moderation of a round-table discussion on Carlo Rovelli's The Order of Time. Each student is required to read the entire book and will be asked to present one of its chapters to the group.
A seminar is only meaningful if students engage actively in it. For this reason, attendance at all seminar sessions is compulsory, and active participation in discussions contributes to the final grade.
The assessment weighting is as follows:
- written assignment: 30%
- oral presentation: 20%
- round-table: 30%
- active participation in class: 20%
The use of artificial intelligence is neither recommended nor prohibited. If students choose to use it, they must do so with the necessary precautions, including maintaining a critical perspective on the answers provided and systematically verifying sources and information.
The use of artificial intelligence must not hinder the process of personal reflection, which is a central part of the value of the written assignment. AI may support independent work, but it must not replace it.
If students use artificial intelligence, they must disclose this in the introduction to their assignment, specifying the type of assistance requested (reformulation, synthesis, analysis, brainstorming, language correction, research, etc.).
Work placement(s)
none
Organisational remarks and main changes to the course
IMPORTANT : This seminar is organised in even years. It will therefore not be organised during the academic year 2027-2028.
Contacts
Laurence BOUQUIAUX,
Département de Philosophie, pl. du 20-Août, 7 à 4000 Liège - 2e étage.
laurence.bouquiaux@uliege.be
Pieter THYSSEN,
Département de Philosophie, pl. du 20-Août, 7 à 4000 Liège - 2e étage.
p.thyssen@uliege.be
Association of one or more MOOCs
There is no MOOC associated with this course.