Knowledge cultures – history and philosophy of knowledge in theory and practice

• Identify, analyze, and evaluate different knowledge cultures, forms of knowledge and ways of knowing, including the use of different knowledge forms and traditions in different professions.
• Identify and reflect on different forms of visualisation of knowledge, their history and impact (maps, diagrams, models etc.).
• Reflect on the historical construction of classifications, standards and units and their impact (ex. the metre and other SI units).
• Analyse the relationship between knowledge, language, practice and materiality (objects and places).
• Identify, ‘defamiliarize’ and evaluate own beliefs and assumptions regarding what counts as true knowledge.
• Reflect on the relationship between power and knowledge and the role of the expert historically and in present time
• Argue for own knowledge and ways of knowing in cross-disciplinary milieus, where some people may represent other assumptions about what count as true knowledge (other knowledge cultures).
• Assess strong and weak points in arguments brought forward by people from other professions representing different ways of knowing.
• Communicate own knowledge, both orally and in writing, including following academic referencing standards and other knowledge conventions in academia.
• Describe and reflect on own learning in a portfolio

In the course, we use different examples from sociology, philosophy and history of knowledge. We mainly focus on science, technology, engineering and related topics, but will also look into very different settings. We will work with the following topics:

Knowledge cultures and types of knowledge
Logic and argumentation
H. C. Ørsted and electromagnetism in a knowledge history setting
Lifeworld and knowledge of Danish farmers in the 18th and 19th century
Representations of knowledge
Expert culture
Knowledge and design
Democracy, controversy and knowledge forms in a society
Artificial knowledge
Humanities, art and objectivity
Your own knowledge

The course will consist of lectures, class discussion, group work, individual work, and several visits to museums.

Master students

Lectures, presentations, excursions, group and individual assignments, and project work.

This course requires students to work with complicated arguments, long texts, and produce advanced presentations both orally and in writing. It is only recommended to students with (1) a good command of the English language or (2) a good command of Danish and the ability to understand written or orally presented English.

Minimum: 8, Maximum: 32.

Please be aware that this course has a minimum requirement for the number of participants needed, in order for it to be held. If these requirements are not met, then the course will not be held. Furthermore, there is a limited number of seats available. If there are too many applicants, a pool will be created for the remainder of the qualified applicants, and they will be selected at random. You will be informed 8 days before the start of the course, whether you have been allocated a spot.