FYSS8300 History and Philosophy of Physics (5 cr)

The course consists of four mandatory sections and one optional section.

Themes of the mandatory sections:

1. The development of natural philosophy: prehistory and early history, ancient Greece and Rome, the Islamic world and early Europe

2. History of the physical sciences: the emergence of special fields of physics (classical mechanics, electromagnetism, optics, kinetic theory of gases and thermodynamics), the differentiation of the physical sciences (physics and astronomy)

3. Development of modern physics: early quantum mechanics and relativity theory, newer quantum mechanics, new physics.

4. Development of philosophy of science and the influence of the physical sciences on it

Themes of the optional sections:

5. The universe and the development of worldview in the light of the history of astronomy

6. History of teaching physics globally and in Finland

7. Physics and the ethics of science - from the atomic bomb to research fraud

• is able to discuss the development and significance of different areas of physical sciences within the entirety of physics, natural sciences, and engineering, as well as the nature of physical knowledge and how knowledge of physics develops and increases
• is familiar with the special characteristics of the philosophy of science in the physical sciences and their significance in the general development of the philosophy of science
• is able to describe the historical roots of physics in natural philosophy
• is able to describe the development of physics from antiquity to the present day
• is able to describe the development of understanding of physical concepts and phenomena
• is able to describe transformative phases in physics, such as the scientific revolution and the emergence of modern physics
• is able to apply analytical and critical thinking skills in a manner appropriate to their field, taking into account interdisciplinary boundaries and new knowledge
• is able to solve ethical questions in their own field with justification and justify their actions ethically, taking into account different backgrounds, power positions, values, and environments (optional section)

The study module is implemented within the framework of FysNet alternately by the University of Oulu and the University of Jyväskylä. 

Basic studies in physics and the courses Modern Physics, parts A&B, or equivalent. 

Material on the online learning platform, the works listed as supplementary reading in the additional materials.