Science and Society: history of science, ethics, critical thinking

The sciences in today's society are at the heart of many ethical, economic and societal issues. The aim of this course is to make students reflect on their knowledge and practices through a historical approach to the construction of knowledge and through reflections on the bioethical aspects of science, the place of researchers in society and the relationship between science and society. The aim is to make students aware of the use of scientific arguments in society and to debate in order to confront supported points of view in a contradictory manner, and to develop their critical sense. It is therefore an opening course, allowing students to take a broader view while maintaining a scientific approach, in other words, to "lift their heads from the handlebars".

- 7CM = 10.5h for History of Science, pan-historical and pan-geographical approach

- 4 CM = 6h to present the concepts of bioethics and the critical approach that will be necessary for the debates (methodology of the controversy, complexity, issues, arguments of authority)

- 2CM= 3h on the role of scientists in society (historical approach and discussion on possible pitfalls)

- 2TD= 3h on cognitive biases, notions of epistemology, language traps, and notion of proof, major types of erroneous reasoning

- 4 sessions of 2TD= 4x3h= 12h of debates on themes at the heart of scientific and societal controversies: GMOs, Vaccination, Pharmacogenetics and genetic testing, Endocrine disruptors, Feeding the planet, Demographic challenge, Climate change, Transhumanism, Cloning and assisted reproduction, Animal experimentation, Neuroscience and marketing, Biological warfare, Nanotechnologies, ... We start with a press article and the students in groups produce a presentation (participate in the evaluation) whose goal is to propose a historical context, present the antagonistic points of view argued (ethical and scientific arguments), and then lead a debate. Each debate session (3h) will have a theme, researchers or EC will be invited to participate in the jury and propose a synthesis at the end.

In groups and for the duration of the course, students will produce a bibliographical synthesis on a theme of their choice, with a well-constructed argument, illustrated with carefully chosen examples, placing the subject in a history of science dimension with bioethical considerations. The idea is not to just make the history of a subject, but on the contrary to insist on the links with the progression of scientific knowledge and the ethical questions raised.

- To know the process of knowledge formation in different disciplines (hypotheses, experimental results, polemical results, mathematical theorems, scientific facts, theories, paradigms)

- Know the basics of the history of science

- Know how to search for and extract information in a critical manner, prioritize sources of information and identify their reliability, and produce a synthesis

- Know how to make the links between knowledge of the biology of organisms, evolutionary biology and ecology, and bioethical, economic and social issues

- Know how to carry out a project within a group

- Be able to develop a logical argument with a critical mind (limits, confrontation with the biblio, defense of a point of view)