Climate Science: Historical, Philosophical and Sociological Issues

Climate science, understood as an interdisciplinary field of study of the Earth’s climate and the causes and effects of climate change, is clearly of central importance today. The summer school will explore climate studies from a historical, philosophical, and sociological perspective. Topics to be covered will include: foundations and methodological issues relating to climate science, including various definitions of climate change, different types of models of climate change, and the use of simulations; further, historical roots and the development of climate science before and after the “computer age”; finally, issues concerning science policy and the communication of findings of climate science to a general public.