Professor Seungbae Park from the School of Liberal Arts (SLA) at UNIST has published the introductory book on the philosophy of science titled Reflections upon Science. This book was written based on Professor Park’s teaching experiences at the University of Arizona and UNIST.
Professor Park’s classes differ from traditional rote learning. Through discussions, he actively exchanges ideas with students, addressing major issues in the philosophy of science. The content of the book is structured around the topics discussed in class.
Key questions explored in the book include: “How Do Scientists Confirm Hypotheses?,” “What Are the Conditions for Scientific Explanation and Prediction?,” and “What Is the Difference between Science and Religion?”
The book also covers topics in biology, physics, and the philosophy of mathematics, explaining the strange phenomena of quantum mechanics, such as superposition, measurement, and quantum entanglement, in a way that even high school students can understand.
Renowned scholars’ perspectives, including those of Popper, Kuhn, Hempel, Bohr, and Einstein, are discussed, with Professor Park providing critiques and alternatives to their theories. He believes that demonstrating concepts is the most effective teaching method for fostering critical thinking among students.
UNIST is the only institute in Korea that conducts all classes 100% in English. While Professor Park’s book is published in English, it has been composed in a way that makes it accessible to general readers. This book can be used not only in universities but also as a textbook in science philosophy courses at gifted schools.
Since joining UNIST in 2009, Professor Park has published over 80 SCI-level papers. In 2022, he also released a specialized book on the philosophy of science titled Embracing Scientific Realism with Springer, one of the world’s top three academic publishers. He is the first in South Korea’s philosophy of science field to publish a specialized book with such a prestigious publisher.
