The news archive of the German Society for Philosophy of Science (GWP).

CfR: Philosophy of Psychiatry Workshop, May 28-29, Bielefeld/Zoom

We are very pleased to announce our workshop “Philosophy of Psychiatry”, which will take place on May 28th and 29th (at Bielefeld University and via Zoom).

The philosophy of psychiatry is an exciting and growing field in which a wide variety of philosophical subfields – from philosophy of science, philosophy of mind and metaphysics to normative considerations – play a role. The aim of the workshop is to cover a variety of perspectives and to give philosophers from different career stages – from students to professors – the opportunity to contribute.

Speakers:

  • Florence Adams (Cambridge)
  • Sanja Dembić (Berlin)
  • Cornelia Elke (Bielefeld)
  • Sascha Fink (Erlangen)
  • Anna Hagemann (Bielefeld)
  • Jonas Hartmann (Bielefeld)
  • Fabian Hundertmark (Bielefeld)
  • David Lambert (Bielefeld)
  • Roberta Locatelli (Tübingen)
  • Lara Keuck (Bielefeld)
  • Vladimir Markovic (Hanover)
  • Daniel Montero (Hanover)
  • Caroline Stankozi (Bochum)
  • James Turner (Sheffield)

Commentaries:

  • Dennis Dübeler (Bielefeld)
  • Lena Schubert (Bielefeld)

The program can be found on the website: https://www.uni-bielefeld.de/fakultaeten/philosophie/arbeitsbereiche/wissenschaft/bielefeld-colloquium-in-p/

To register, please write a mail to fhundertmark@uni-bielefeld.de.

We would like to thank GRK2073, GAP and GWP for generously funding this workshop.

1st Bayreuth Workshop on AI Governance, Bayreuth, 17–18.06.20241st Bayreuth Workshop on AI Governance

The University of Bayreuth delighted to announce the 1st Bayreuth Workshop on AI Governance:
 
Societies and law-makers around the world are grappling intensely with the question of how to ensure fast innovation in AI serves the common good. Join us and five experts in law, public policy, ethics and political philosophy to explore pressing questions for the governance of AI, like: 
* How can regulation be made to quickly adapt to fast changing and fundamentally new technology?
* How should we structure interactions between humans and machines?
* How do we justly distribute the gains from AI and protect citizens from its worst consequences?
* How can we do all that under conditions of deep uncertainty? 
 
Invited Speakers:  
* Thomas Ferretti (University of Greenwich)
* Deirdre Ahern (Trinity College Dublin)
* Sven Nyholm (LMU Munich)
* Claire Benn (Cambridge)
* Florian Ostmann (Alan Turing Institute)
 
Participation:
Registration is open and free for both researchers and students, so please also circulate this CfA among your students. We especially would like to encourage prospective students of both the new Master’s programme “Philosophy & Computer Science” and the “Philosophy & Economics” degrees to join us to get to know teachers, city, and campus. 
To register, please contact carla.renzi(at)uni-bayreuth.de. 
 
Further information:  
https://www.philcs.uni-bayreuth.de/en/news/aigworkshop/index.html 
 
Organisers:  
Prof. Dr. Lena Kästner & Prof. Dr. Johanna Thoma

Master in Statistics, Data Intelligence, and the Foundations of the Sciences

The Center for Philosophy, Science, and Policy (CPSP) at the Marche Polytechnic University invites applications for the Master in “Statistics, Data Intelligence, and the Foundations of the Sciences”. The Master aims to fill a gap in the Data Science and STEM fields by integrating theoretical tools and empirical methods for an educated approach to data analysis, scientific experimentation, use of simulation tools in scientific inference and forecasting, as well as evaluation of evidence for policy purposes. 

The uniqueness of the Master’s training offer is linked to three aspects:

1. The integration of courses on advanced data analysis and inferential techniques (machine learning, deep learning, AI), as well as tutorials on some of the most widespread data processing tools (Python, STATA, R, Matlab), with courses dedicated to the foundations of the scientific method, epistemology, and philosophy of science. A particular focus is directed towards the theoretical foundations of the scientific method.

2. Emphasis on the distinction between pure “truth-conducive” aims and strategic goals at play in scientific practice. Formal analysis of strategic interactions in the scientific ecosystem as well as political and economic analysis of science in society. Identification of the various scientific sub-systems (scientific, governmental, socio-economic institutions and society at large), and their joint work within broader socio-economic structures.

3. Policy-making and the role of scientific evidence in decision-making, both personal and collective, with particular attention to the debate on the so-called “evidence-based policy” and the related political and societal implications.

The Master is aimed at students and scholars from both the human sciences and STEM disciplines, but also at professionals who want to enrich their skills in the field of data analysis, science epistemology, and evidence-based policy. The master is fully in English and takes one year to complete — the program is available at https://cpsp.univpm.it/master-sdifs.

Venue and time: 
Marche Polytechnic University, Ancona (Italy), September 2024 – June 2025.
The official call will be out soon — for inquiries about the application and other details please contact michalpsikorski@gmail.com.

CfA: Two 3-Year Assistant Professor Positions (full time) at LMU Munich

Two 3-year Assistant Professor Positions (full time) 

Chair of Philosophy of Metaphysics, LMU Munich

Application deadline: June 1, 2024

***************************************************

The Chair of Philosophy of Metaphysics (Prof. Dr. Alyssa Ney) in the Faculty of Philosophy, Philosophy of Science and Study of Religion are seeking applications for two 3-year assistant professor positions (full time) starting on October 1 2024. For more information, see:

https://job-portal.lmu.de/jobposting/debb161e86f0eb82a9d7dbcd631a67289aae3d1f0
https://job-portal.lmu.de/jobposting/b1c40da8bbfbdec161345e1165467f00cb5111b10

Call for Registration: Workshop & academic retreat “Concepts for understanding brain organization”

June 10 2024

Ecolé Normale Supérieure Ulm, Paris, France

Organizers:

Dr. Philipp Haueis: Department of Philosophy, Bielefeld University Prof. Daniel Margulies, CNRS and Université Paris Cité

The workshop brings together leading neuroscientists and philosophers of science to discuss how concepts of brain organization guide and constrain experimental and theoretical research. It should be of interest to advanced students and researchers in neuroscience, cognitive science and philosophy interested in how the brain and comparable complex systems are organized, and how science best conceptualizes such systems.

Speakers: Russel Poldrack (Stanford) Daniel Burnston (New Orleans), David Colaço (Munich), Carl Craver (St. Louis), Alyia Dewey (Nürnberg), Lisa Feldman Barrett (Boston), Sarah Robins (Lafayette), Sofie Valk (Leipzig), Gaël Varoquaux (Paris)

Please register for the workshop via the following site: https://my.weezevent.com/concepts-for- understanding-brain-organization

After the workshop, there will be an 2.5 day retreat academic retreat at Chateau du Feÿ in Burgundy (June 11-13), where speakers discuss the limits of current concepts of brain organization and how to overcome them by creating novel concepts. There are a few additional places available for outside participants for a fee of 500€ (includes 2 nights of accommodations, breakfast, lunch and dinners at the chateau, interactive program, outdoor activities and group discussions). Those who are interested should send an email to philipp.haueis@uni-bielefeld.de

Funding for this event is generously provided by Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), the European Research Council (Consolidator Grant CORTIGRAD), Bielefeld University

(Department of Philosophy), and the German Society for Philosophy of Science (GWP).

Postdoctoral Researcher (m/f/d) in Digital Philosophy of Science (Salary Scale 13 TV-L, 75-100 %)

Announcement on GWP newsletter [Postdoctoral Researcher (m/f/d) in Digital Philosophy of Science (Salary Scale 13 TV-L, 75-100 %)] 

MessageNachricht: 
I am writing this message on behalf of Prof. Dr. Catherine Herfeld. 

Name: Catherine Herfeld

University: Leibniz University Hannover

E-mail address: catherine.herfeld@philos.uni-hannover.de

Type of announcement: Job Vacancy

Subject of the newsletter: JOB: Postdoctoral Researcher in Digital Philosophy of Science

Deadline: May 22, 2024

Starting date: October 1, 2024 or earlier

Announcement (external link here:  https://www.model-transfer.uni-hannover.de/en/jobs-and-visits)

Postdoctoral Researcher (m/f/d) in Digital Philosophy of Science
(Salary Scale 13 TV-L, 75-100 %)
The Institute of Philosophy invites applications for the position of a Postdoctoral Researcher (m/f/d) in Digital Philosophy of Science (Salary Scale 13 TV-L, 75-100 %) starting October 1, 2024 or earlier. The duration of the position is 3.5 years. Working time is negotiable (75-100%); employment beyond 75% requires regular teaching obligations.

In the context of the project “MODEL TRANSFER – Model Transfer and its Challenges in Science: The Case of Economics,” funded by the European Research Council (ERC) through a Starting Grant to Prof. Dr. Catherine Herfeld (Leibniz University Hannover), we seek to appoint a postdoctoral researcher in philosophy of science with special expertise in computational and statistical methods / digital humanities. To study the phenomenon of model transfer and its challenges in science, focusing in particular on economics, the project will primarily use network analysis, blockmodeling and topic modeling to identify relevant transfer patterns as well as track and empirically map the transfer processes of models across different domains. Find out more about the project here. The position is also attached to the Chair of Philosophy and History of Economics (Prof. Dr. Catherine Herfeld). The position is remunerated according to salary scale “13 TV-L” (Collective Agreement for the Public Service of the Länder).

Responsibilities and tasks

The position requires to conduct research within the ERC-funded project ‘Model Transfer and its Challenges: The Case of Economics’ (MODEL TRANSFER; a short summary of the project can also be found here). While your research will center around philosophical and empirical issues raised by model transfer in science, you will have the opportunity to develop your own research focus. The successful candidate will also be expected to work in a team, actively participate in all project events, co-organize events on the project topic and present their research at conferences and workshops on a regular basis.

Employment conditions and requirements

To qualify for the position, applicants must hold an academic degree in philosophy and/or a field that applies computational and/or digital methods to empirical data. Previous research that demonstrates excellent skills in at least one of the aforementioned methods is expected. Applicants should also have a research focus in philosophy of science, integrated history and philosophy of science, philosophy of economics, and/or history of economics. They should be fluent in English; fluency in German is not required.

The Institute of Philosophy at Leibniz University Hannover has a thriving focus in philosophy of science, with an emerging specialization also in philosophy of economics. We offer an attractive working atmosphere in a research-oriented environment and team with opportunities for your academic development. Due to our international collaborations and visiting scientists, our institute languages are English and German.

Leibniz University Hannover considers itself a family-friendly university and therefore promotes a balance between work and family responsibilities. Part-time employment can be arranged upon request.

The university aims to promote gender equality. For this purpose, the university strives to reduce under-representation in areas where a certain gender is under-represented. Women are under-represented in the salary scale of the advertised position. Therefore, qualified women are encouraged to apply. Moreover, we welcome applications from qualified men. Preference will be given to equally-qualified applicants with disabilities.

Please submit your application with supporting documents (cover letter explaining your interest in and qualification for the position, research statement of max. 2 pages explaining your research plan within the MODEL TRANSFER project, CV including a list of publications, a summary of your dissertation, certificates, a writing sample of max. 20 pages on any topic that reflects your best philosophical writing, and names as well as contact information of two referees) the latest by May 22, 2024 as a single pdf in electronic form to the email address erc@philos.uni-hannover.de or by postal mail to:

Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Universität Hannover
Institute of Philosophy
Prof. Dr. Catherine Herfeld
Lange Laube 6, 30159 Hannover
Germany

For further information about the available position, you may contact Prof. Dr. Catherine Herfeld (email: catherine.herfeld@philos.uni-hannover.de). Information on the collection of personal data according to article 13 GDPR can be found at https://www.uni-hannover.de/en/datenschutzhinweis-bewerbungen/. 

[CfA] Workshop “Methodological Transformations in Fundamental Physics” (Sept. 16-18, Wuppertal – Germany)

Dear all,

We are happy to announce our workshop “Methodological Transformations in Fundamental Physics” (September 16-18 2024, Wuppertal, Germany). A call for abstracts is open until June 1st.

(For more information, please visit the https://grk2696.de/?page_id=873)

Abstract
The success of science is often attributed to “the” scientific method, yet the definition and nature of this method remains a subject of philosophical debate. While traditional philosophy sought to establish a normative, static and universal account of the scientific method, more practice-oriented philosophers have stressed the dynamic nature of scientific method(s) since the post-positivist turn in philosophy of science. Recent developments in fundamental physics (String Theory, the Standard Model of particle physics and its extensions, early universe cosmology, etc.) offer promising case studies for investigating (the) scientific “method(s)” and its alleged dynamic and plastic nature. This workshop therefore proposes to review recent developments in fundamental physics (since the second half of the 20th century), in order to evaluate whether these developments entail significant methodological breaks with respect to the past. “Methods” is to be understood in a broad sense, which includes criteria of epistemic appraisal (acceptance) and heuristic appraisal (pursuit), but also more globally the computational, observational, experimental, and statistical means through which evidence is produced and assessed. The workshop welcomes perspectives from philosophers of science and philosophers of physics, historians, physicists, social epistemologists, and sociologists of science.

The discussion will be organized into three broad themes: “theory assessment in fundamental physics”; “epistemic implications of recent methodological approaches and new methodological challenges”; and “social and other dimensions of scientific methodology”. 

Confirmed speakers
Elena Castellani (University of Florence)

Richard Dawid (University of Stockholm)

Lydia Patton (Virginia Tech)

Mike D. Schneider (University of Missouri)

Chris Smeenk (Western University)

Submission guidelines
We welcome contributions from physicists, philosophers of science and philosophers of physics, historians, social epistemologists, and sociologists of science. Those interested in participating should submit a title and an abstract of 500 words to grk2696@uni-wuppertal.de and plan for a 30 minute talk.

Deadline for submissions: June 1st

Decision notification: June 15th

Please contact grk2696@uni-wuppertal.de if you have any questions regarding the workshop.

Date & Location
The workshop will start on Monday, September 16th (in the morning) and end on Wednesday, September 18th. It will take place on the campus of the University of Wuppertal.

Organization
Sarwar Ahmed

Lucas Gautheron

Anastasiia Lazutkina

Radin Dardashti

CfR: What Do We Talk About When We Talk About (Scientific) Practices?, 23rd ‑ 24th May 2024, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf

Graduate Workshop, 23rd ‑ 24th May 2024, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Germany

dgwp.org

In recent years, many researchers working in the philosophy of science have become more and more interested in scientific practices. This so-called “practice turn” seeks to replace or amend the attention traditionally given to scientific theories (their structure, content, and ontological status) with a focus on the practical activities carried out by physicists, chemists, biologists, mathematicians etc. in their day-to-day work (cf. Mancosu 2008, Hüttemann 2021, Soler et al. 2022).

These developments have in common their reliance on the notion of scientific/mathematical practice. But what exactly is a scientific/mathematical practice? What is the relation between such practices and scientific theory? Are there, in fact, no theories, but only bits of “theory-shaped practices” (cf. French 2020, Baird 2003)? The current workshop aims to address concerns of this kind by raising a broad philosophical question: What do we talk about when we talk about scientific practices?

Keynotes:

  • Prof. Dr. Michela Massimi (Edinburgh): Epistemic Communities and their Situated Practices
  • Prof. Dr. Friedrich Steinle (TU Berlin): Research and its Presentations: Different Practices
  • Dr. Silvia De Toffoli (IUSS Pavia): The Practice Turn in the Philosophy of Mathematics

The workshop will be held from 23/05/2024 to 24/05/2024 at Heinrich Heine University’s Haus der Universität. Attendance is free, but prior registration is required. To register, fill out the form our website: https://www.dgwp.org/events/2024/programme/#registration.

The event is organized by Daian Bica and Paul Hasselkuß (Düsseldorf), and generously supported by the Department of Philosophy, the Faculty of Arts and Humanities, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, the German Society for Analytic Philosophy, and by Prof. Dr. Markus Schrenk (Düsseldorf).

CfR: Bridging the Gap: The Importance of Communicating Mathematical (& Logical) Research to laypeople and in Education, 21.05. – 24.05.2024, Hybrid: Zoom + Palma de Mallorca (Spain)

Call for Registration

Bridging the Gap: The Importance of Communicating Mathematical Research to laypeople and in Education; a satellite conference of the 9th European Congress of Mathematics

Dates: 21.05. – 24.05.2024
https://sites.google.com/view/btg-workshop/
It is possible to listen to the talks online or in person in Palma. 
Venue: University of the Balearic Islands, Palma de Mallorca, Spain


=== Schedule
A preliminary Schedule can be found here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Yl4VQNYBGOrA9spJhE5G_ZU6W-cIaib51ou-KM5KSD0/edit?usp=sharing

=== Speakers
==Invited keynotes:
Thorsten Altenkirch (University of Nottingham) [Online]
Paul Ernest (University of Exeter)
Keith Weber (Rutgers)  [Online]

One more TBA



== Contributed talks by: 
Jordi Fairhurst (UIB)
CP Hertogh (Chongqing University) 
José A. Pérez-Escobar (University of Geneva)
Jonas Raab (Trinity College Dublin) 
Andrei Rodin (University of Lorraine)
Deniz Sarikaya (CLPS at Vrije Universiteit Brussel) 
Mira Sarikaya (Universität Hamburg)
Seungyun Song (Tilburg University)
Irina Starikova (Federal University of Minas Gerais)  
Benjamin Wilck (Buber institute)
Two more speakers to be announced, if you like to give a talk please email us asap. Priority will be given for in person talks.

=== Registration
We do not have funds to cover travel and accommodation expenses, but will do our best to provide coffee, refreshments and basic snacks for the breaks.
Registration can be done here: 
https://forms.gle/NEXPRgADtfpqPdYK8  
by email (see in contact) .

=== Topic
The satellite workshop “Bridging the Gap: The Importance of Communicating Mathematical Research to laypeople and in Education” aims to shed light on an essential, yet under-discussed facet of mathematics education – the art of communicating complex mathematical concepts and research to children and popularizing them in the general public. Mathematical literacy is an integral part of modern society, where data-driven decision making is prevalent. Equipping children  and laypeople with an understanding of mathematical research prepares them to navigate a world where mathematics is increasingly vital.

Felix Klein already famously discussed that school mathematics is not the same as research mathematics. (Proper) Mathematics, often perceived as abstract and complex, poses a unique challenge in terms of communication, particularly to children. The key to overcoming this challenge lies in rendering mathematical research accessible and engaging to young learners. This conference invites researchers, educators, and practitioners to explore the methodologies, strategies, and benefits of conveying mathematical research to children effectively. This lack of an adequate picture of mathematics propagates via all citizens into society at large.

The transmission of mathematical concepts to children necessitates an understanding of their cognitive abilities, interests, and perspectives. It, just like the communication to laypeople, also presupposes that we understand mathematical practice, which is not a given. The understanding of the actual practices is often described as “philosophy of mathematical practice”.

Equally significant is the narrative and language employed while communicating mathematical research. The use of storytelling, visuals, games, and practical examples can demystify mathematics, linking abstract concepts to concrete realities. This conference seeks to highlight the innovative practices and strategies employed by educators and researchers in making mathematical research relatable (to lay people and especially to children).

This workshop, thus, aims to stimulate conversations around the why’s and how’s of communicating mathematical research to children and laypeople. Through keynotes, panel discussions, and interactive sessions, attendees will gain insights into the best practices, challenges, and future directions in this critical field. The conference invites participation from mathematicians, educators and philosophers and anyone interested in the intersection of mathematics, education, and communication. Together, we aim to foster publication engaging with the description of mathematical practice, and invite mathematicians to communicate their (subjective) perspective, as some important mathematicians like Thurston already did. We finally want to develop concrete educational material to be published after the workshop.

Some themes could be (but are not limited to):
-the usage of educational software and automated theorem proving
– ethical issues connected to the narratives surrounding mathematics -enriching highly gifted children -documenting scientific practice and methodological issues of the Philosophy of Mathematical Practice broadly

Each day of the workshop will have a keynote lecture, contributed talks and time to develop concrete follow up projects and material. One day will be devoted in part to a social activity.

=== Support
Supported by the FWO-project “The Epistemology of Big Data: Mathematics and the Critical Research Agenda on Data Practices”, Swiss National Science Foundation project “Mathematical models and normativity in biology and psychology: descriptions, or rules of description? (P5R5PH_214160) and the Centre for Logic & Philosophy of Science research Group at the Vrije Universiteit Brussels (VUB). Ayuda Margarita Salas of the Ministerio de Universidades, within the framework of the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan, and financed by the European Union (NextGenrationEU). This event is endorsed by DMRCP: Diversity of Mathematical Research Cultures and Practices.

=== Contact
Jordi Fairhurst: jordi.fairhurst@uib.es
José Antonio Pérez Escobar: Jose.Perezescobar@unige.ch
Deniz Sarikaya: deniz.sarikaya@vub.be

CfR: Virtual Ethical Innovation Lecture Series: May-July: V. Sikimić (Eidhoven), M. Gottschling (Tübingen), and A. Vučković (Belgrade)

=== Call for Registration 
We are excited to invite you to participate in our upcoming Virtual Ethical Innovation Lecture Series hosted by the Ethical Innovation Hub of the University of Lübeck, Germany. 
This lecture series will feature a diverse lineup of speakers addressing critical topics at the intersection of ethics and innovation with a particular focus on issues of artificial intelligence. 

Registration is Now Open!
Secure your spot by registering at the following link:
https://www.eih.uni-luebeck.de/veilseries
Participation is free

Stay Updated!
Don’t miss out on any updates or future events-subscribe to our newsletter:
https://eih.beehiiv.com/subscribe

Event Details:
This series allows for participation in individual lectures, so you can choose the topics most relevant to you. Each session consists of a short talk and a pen Q&A session. 
Full abstracts to be found below.

= 2024/05/14 – Vlasta Sikimić (Eindhoven University of Technology), 13:00 – 13:45 (CEST)   “Is AI to be used in grant review”

= 2024/06/04 Markus Gottschling (Universität Tübingen), 13:00 – 13:45 (CEST)  “Persuasive Machines and the Rhetoric of Generative AI”

= 2024/07/09 – Aleksandra Vučković (University of Belgrade), 13:00 – 13:45 (CEST)  “Can AI Contribute to Fairness in Education?”

We look forward to your participation in what promises to be an enlightening and thought-provoking series! 
It is aimed at philosophical interested practitioners but open to philosophers and interested public as well. 

Learn More About Us
For more information about our group and our activities, please visit our website:
https://www.eih.uni-luebeck.de/

Best regards,
The Ethical Innovation Hub Team

== Full abstracts: 
Title: Is AI to be used in grant review?
By Vlasta Sikimić (Eindhoven University of Technology)
Abstract: The existing peer review system for scientific grants is criticized for being costly, time-intensive, and unreliable. Could AI be the solution, i.e., could AI be successfully employed in grant review? On the one hand, AI is a fast and cheap method that can even be trained using the preferences of peer reviewers. On the other hand, transitioning to automated grant review poses significant epistemic and ethical hurdles. The epistemic challenges include qualitative assessments of data and making appropriate parameter selections, while the ethical concerns include the accuracy and transparency of automated grant evaluation. We will argue against fully automating the grant review process, highlighting the risk of neglecting important values in science, such as diversity of thoughts and epistemic inclusion.

Title: Persuasive Machines and the Rhetoric of Generative AI
By Markus Gottschling (Universität Tübingen)
Abstract: The growing influence of generative AI on communication requires a nuanced understanding of its impact. While these tools promise to increase efficiency and audience engagement, concerns about authenticity and potential misuse persist. As AI co-creates content, questions of authorship, originality, and ethical boundaries arise. This talk will explore the rhetorical strategies employed by AI, the ethical considerations of language models, and their evolving capacity for understanding and persuasion within the communications landscape. 

Title: Can AI Contribute to Fairness in Education?
By: Aleksandra Vučković (University of Belgrade)
Abstract: When we discuss AI implementation in education, we often think about predictive models that indicate the individual’s progress in the educational system. On top of that, another type of AI – large language models (LLMs) – has recently gained attention in the debates on education due to the concerns regarding students’ potential overreliance on ChatGPT and similar software. We analyze these technologies in a somewhat different context and reason they could contribute to a more wholesome approach to education or, more precisely, one that is governed by the principles of equity and inclusion. If properly introduced, predictive models and LLMs could significantly improve the process of gaining knowledge and contribute to fairness in teaching and grading. Moreover, personalized curriculums would not only maximize each individual’s potential but, as we argue, could also mitigate the disbalance between the capitalist center and periphery and broaden overall cultural diversity.

Save the Date: GWP.2025 in Erlangen, 24.-26.3.2025

Liebe GWP-Mitglieder,

im Namen des Vorstandes freue ich mich, Ihnen die Daten der nächsten GWP-Konferenz bekanntgeben zu können: Die GWP.2025 wird vom 24. bis 26. März 2025 in Erlangen an der Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), unter Federführung des ZIWIS – FAU Kompetenzzentrum für interdisziplinäre Wissenschaftsreflexion, stattfinden. Ein ausführlicher Call for Papers wird derzeit vorbereitet und voraussichtlich im März zirkuliert werden.

Wir freuen uns darauf, möglichst viele von Ihnen im nächsten Jahr auf der GWP.2025 in Erlangen begrüßen zu können!

Mit herzlichen Grüßen

Axel Gelfert
GWP-Präsident

CFA: MCMP Summer School for Widening Participation in Mathematical Philosophy

Event Date: 22-26 July 2024

[Idea and Motivation]
The Munich Center for Mathematical Philosophy (MCMP) is organizing the 
Summer School for Widening Participation in Mathematical Philosophy, 
which will take place from Monday 22 July to Friday 26 July, 2024 in 
Munich, Germany.  Following a series of eight successful MCMP-organized 
summer schools on mathematical philosophy for female students, the MCMP 
will this year broaden its offering, with a summer school for women and 
members of other groups that are under-represented in mathematical 
philosophy. These groups include under-represented gender identities, 
races and ethnicities, people with disabilities, people from low income 
and non-academic family backgrounds.

The school’s aim is to encourage students to engage with mathematical 
and scientific approaches to philosophical problems, and thereby help to 
redress the under-representation of women and other marginalized groups 
in mathematical philosophy. It offers the opportunity for study in an 
informal and interdisciplinary setting, for lively debate, and for the 
development of a network of students and professors interested in the 
application of formal methods to philosophy.

This edition of the summer school will feature lectures by:
Jingyi Wu (LSE): “Computational Models of Diversity and Injustice”
Sara Uckelman (Durham University): “What History of Logic Can Teach Us 
About the Future of Logic”

In addition, there will be an evening lecture by Barbara Vetter (FU 
Berlin): “First-generation philosophers: why they matter, and how to 
support them”.

The summer school will also feature talks on mathematical philosophy by 
members of the MCMP.

Please see the “Call for Application” below.  For more information about 
the program, please consult the summer school website at 
<http://www.mathsummer.philosophie.uni-muenchen.de>. If you have any 
further questions about the summer school, please contact the organizing 
committee at mathsummer@lrz.uni-muenchen.de.

The organizing committee consists of Nicola Bonatti, Vanessa Carr, John 
Dougherty, Marta Ferreira Esteves, Levin Hornischer, Alessandra Marra, 
Francesco Nugnes, Hannah Pillin, Toby C.P. Solomon, Tom Sterkenburg, 
Zhouwanyue Yang.

[Call for Application]
We welcome applications from women and members of other 
under-represented groups (including under-represented gender identities, 
races and ethnicities, people with disabilities, people from low income 
and non-academic family backgrounds) who want to specialize in 
mathematical philosophy.   The school is targeted to students at an 
early stage of their philosophical careers – especially MA and PhD 
students – and will introduce them to a selection of core topics in 
mathematical philosophy.

The school will include structured lectures by the invited lecturers, 
exercise sessions, short talks by members of the MCMP, as well as more 
relaxed conversational settings for sharing ideas. There will be a 
chance for students to present their own work, by taking part in a 
poster session. We will also provide space for students to discuss their 
experiences of academic philosophy within a roundtable session. In 
addition, there will be an evening lecture on the topic of 
first-generation philosophers.

*When*: 22 -26 July, 2024
*Where*: in-person, in Munich, Germany.
*Participation fee*:  75 euro. We have the possibility to grant a small 
number of travel bursaries.
*How to apply*: Please submit a cv and a letter of motivation 
highlighting i) your interest in mathematical philosophy, ii) your 
belonging to the school’s target group, and (if applicable) iii) your 
motivation for requesting a travel bursary. For administrative reasons, 
travel bursaries require the recipients to present a poster at the 
students’ poster session. Please submit your application material to 
<https://www.efv.verwaltung.uni-muenchen.de/summerschoolmpforfemalestudents>
*Application Deadline*: March 29, 2024

CfP: Philosophy of Science: Past, Present and Future. (October 17-19, 2024, Minnesota Center for Philosophy of Science)

In connection with the centenary of the Vienna Circle and the upcoming 75th anniversary of the Minnesota Center for Philosophy of Science, we are organizing a conference titled Philosophy of Science: Past, Present and Future. This conference will take place on October 17-19, 2024, and will be held at the University of Minnesota. 

The conference will consist of three sessions. First, a group of HOPOS scholars will reflect on the institutional history of philosophy of science, exploring how journals, research centers, societies, departments, and funding agencies have shaped the discipline as we know it today. Next, a group of contemporary philosophers of science (prominent researchers, journal editors, society presidents, and research center directors) will reflect on the current status of the profession through a series of papers and round table conversations. Finally, a group of promising junior scholars will offer their vision of what philosophy of science could or should look like in the decades to come.

Confirmed Speakers 

Anna Alexandrova (University of Cambridge), Holly Andersen (Simon Fraser University), Liam Kofi Bright (London School of Economics), Carl Craver (Washington University-St. Louis), Kathleen Creel (Northeastern University), Fons Dewulf (TiLPS, Tilburg University), Heather Douglas (Michigan State University), Stephan Hartmann (MCMP, LMU Munich), Joel Isaac (University of Chicago), Carole Lee (University of Washington), Hannes Leitgeb (MCMP, LMU Munich), Sabina Leonelli (University of Exeter), Edouard Machery (University of Pittsburgh), Michela Massimi (University of Edinburgh), Bennett McNulty (University of Minnesota), Wendy Parker (Virgina Tech), Lydia Patton (Virginia Tech), Angela Potochnik (University of Cincinatti), George Reisch (Independent scholar), Alan Richardson (University of British Columbia), Stéphanie Ruphy (ENS-University of Paris), Bryan Roberts (London School of Economics), Janet Stemwedel (San José State University), Thomas Uebel (University of Manchester), James Weatherall (UC Irvine) 

Scientific Committee 

Bas van Fraassen (Princeton University), Paul Hoyningen-Huene (Leibniz University Hannover), Philip Kitcher (Columbia University), Helen Longino (Stanford University), Deborah Mayo (Virginia Tech), Sandra Mitchell (University of Pittsburgh), Friedrich Stadler (University of Vienna), Alison Wylie (University of British Columbia) 

Organizers 

Alan Love (MCPS, University of Minnesota), Sander Verhaegh (TiLPS, Tilburg University) 

Submission guidelines 

We invite philosophers of science and HOPOS scholars to submit proposals for poster presentations in conjunction with the conference theme. Submissions on all topics related to the past, present, or future of philosophy of science broadly construed are welcome. Please submit abstracts of 500 words (maximum) suitable for blind review to mcps@umn.edu and indicate whether you would like to present your poster in the ‘Past’, the ‘Present’, or the ‘Future’ section. 

In every section of the conference with invited speakers, a few paper slots will be reserved for contributed abstracts. Please indicate whether you would like your poster proposal to be considered for such a slot. Oral presentations in the ‘Future’ section will be exclusively reserved for junior scholars (graduate students or scholars who obtained their PhD within the last six years). 

A curated subset of the proceedings will be published in the Minnesota Studies in Philosophy of Science series with contributors revising manuscripts in light of conference feedback and peer review comments. 

Dates and Deadlines 

April 30: Submission deadline 

May 31: Notifications 

October 17-19: Conference 

More information 

This conference is hosted by the Minnesota Center for Philosophy of Science in the College of 

Liberal Arts at the University of Minnesota (Twin Cities). Questions about the conference can be 

directed to Alan Love (aclove[at]umn.edu) and Sander Verhaegh (a.a.verhaegh[at]tilburguniversity.edu). 

Website: https://cla.umn.edu/mcps/research-programs/conferences-and-workshops. 

Call for Abstracts: What Do We Talk About When We Talk About (Scientific) Practices?

Graduate Workshop, 23rd ‑ 24th May 2024, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Germany

dgwp.org

In recent years, many researchers working in the philosophy of science have become more and more interested in scientific practices. This so-called “practice turn” seeks to replace or amend the attention traditionally given to scientific theories (their structure, content, and ontological status) with a focus on the practical activities carried out by physicists, chemists, biologists, mathematicians etc. in their day-to-day work (cf. Mancosu 2008, Hüttemann 2021, Soler et al. 2022).

These developments have in common their reliance on the notion of scientific/mathematical practice. But what exactly is a scientific/mathematical practice? What is the relation between such practices and scientific theory? Are there, in fact, no theories, but only bits of “theory-shaped practices” (cf. French 2020, Baird 2003)? The current workshop aims to address concerns of this kind by raising a broad philosophical question: What do we talk about when we talk about scientific practices?

Keynotes will be given by:

  • Prof. Dr. Michela Massimi (Edinburgh)
  • Prof. Dr. Friedrich Steinle (TU Berlin)
  • Dr. Silvia De Toffoli (IUSS Pavia)

The workshop will be held from 23/05/2024 to 24/05/2024 at Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf. It is organized by Daian Bica and Paul Hasselkuß (Düsseldorf), and generously supported by the Department of Philosophy, the Faculty of Arts and Humanities, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, the German Society for Analytic Philosophy, and by Prof. Dr. Markus Schrenk (Düsseldorf).

Submission

We encourage early career researchers (MA and PhD students) to submit an abstract of max. 500 words prepared for blind review. The deadline for submissions is 01/02/2024. To submit an abstract, please use our submission form: https://www.dgwp.org/events/2024/cfa#submission. For questions, please contact the organisers (dgwp2024@phil.hhu.de).

The organizing committee will notify authors of its decision by 15/02/2024. There is no participation fee. Unfortunately, we cannot cover travel and accommodation expenses. Please note that this is an in-person event, it is not possible to participate virtually.

MCMP Summer School for Widening Participation in Mathematical Philosophy, July 22-26, 2024

The Munich Center for Mathematical Philosophy (MCMP) is organizing the 
Summer School for Widening Participation in Mathematical Philosophy, 
which will take place from Monday 22 July to Friday 26 July, 2024 in 
Munich, Germany.  Following a series of eight successful MCMP-organized 
summer schools on mathematical philosophy for female students, the MCMP 
will this year broaden its offering, with a summer school for women and 
members of other groups that are under-represented in formal philosophy. 
These groups include under-represented gender identities, races and 
ethnicities, people with disabilities, people from low income and 
non-academic family backgrounds.

The school’s aim is to encourage students to engage with mathematical 
and scientific approaches to philosophical problems, and thereby help to 
redress the under-representation of women and other marginalized groups 
in formal philosophy. It offers the opportunity for study in an informal 
and interdisciplinary setting, for lively debate, and for the 
development of a network of students and professors interested in the 
application of formal methods to philosophy.

This edition of the summer school will feature lectures by:
Jingyi Wu (LSE): “Models of Diversity and Injustice”
Sara Uckelman (Durham University): “What History of Logic Can Teach Us 
About the Future of Logic”

In addition, there will be an evening lecture by Barbara Vetter (FU 
Berlin): “First-generation philosophers: why they matter, and how to 
support them”.

The summer school will also feature talks by members of the MCMP.

The organizing committee consists of Nicola Bonatti, Vanessa Carr, John 
Dougherty, Marta Ferreira Esteves, Levin Hornischer, Alessandra Marra, 
Francesco Nugnes, Hannah Pillin, Toby C.P. Solomon, Tom Sterkenburg, 
Zhouwanyue Yang.

A “Call for Application” will be distributed shortly.  For more 
information about the program, please consult the summer school website 
at <http://www.mathsummer.philosophie.uni-muenchen.de>. If you have any 
further questions about the summer school, please contact the organizing 
committee at mathsummer@lrz.uni-muenchen.de.

CfA: What Do We Talk About When We Talk About (Scientific) Practices?, Graduate Workshop, 23rd ‑ 24th May 2024, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Germany

dgwp.org

In recent years, many researchers working in the philosophy of science have become more and more interested in scientific practices. This so-called “practice turn” seeks to replace or amend the attention traditionally given to scientific theories (their structure, content, and ontological status) with a focus on the practical activities carried out by physicists, chemists, biologists, mathematicians etc. in their day-to-day work (cf. Mancosu 2008, Hüttemann 2021, Soler et al. 2022).

These developments have in common their reliance on the notion of scientific/mathematical practice. But what exactly is a scientific/mathematical practice? What is the relation between such practices and scientific theory? Are there, in fact, no theories, but only bits of “theory-shaped practices” (cf. French 2020, Baird 2003)? The current workshop aims to address concerns of this kind by raising a broad philosophical question: What do we talk about when we talk about scientific practices?

Keynotes will be given by:

  • Prof. Dr. Michela Massimi (Edinburgh)
  • Prof. Dr. Friedrich Steinle (TU Berlin)
  • Dr. Silvia De Toffoli (IUSS Pavia)

The workshop will be held from 23/05/2024 to 24/05/2024 at Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf. It is organized by Daian Bica and Paul Hasselkuß (Düsseldorf), and generously supported by the Department of Philosophy, the Faculty of Arts and Humanities, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, and by Prof. Dr. Markus Schrenk (Düsseldorf).

Submission

We encourage early career researchers (MA and PhD students) to submit an abstract of max. 500 words prepared for blind review. The deadline for submissions is 01/02/2024. To submit an abstract, please use our submission form: https://www.dgwp.org/events/2024/cfa#submission. For questions, please contact the organizers (dgwp2024@phil.hhu.de).

The organizing committee will notify authors of its decision by 15/02/2024. There is no participation fee. Unfortunately, we cannot cover travel and accommodation expenses. Please note that this is an in-person event, it is not possible to participate virtually.

CfP: The Direction of Time in a Physical World, Online-Workshop, 30-31 August 2023

Invited Speakers: 

Alison Fernandes, Bryan Roberts, Cristian López, Eddy Chen, Jill North, Natalja Deng, and Nina Emery

Abstract:

The problem of the direction of time is a central issue in contemporary philosophy of science. On the one hand, we experience many time-directed phenomena, such as causal relationships and local thermodynamic behavior; on the other hand, our fundamental dynamic laws of nature are time-reversal invariant. The key question regarding the direction of time is therefore: If not in the time-reversal invariant laws, what is the direction of time grounded in? The workshop seeks to elucidate the relationship between the direction of time and our physical world, by addressing questions such as: Is the direction of time an objective feature of our world? Can the direction of time be physically justified? How is it related to the asymmetries we experience?
This International Workshop is organized as an event of the DFG projects “The Direction of Time and The Direction of Causality” and “The Time of Science and the Time of Our Lives”.

Registration:
Participation is free, but limited. To register and receive the Zoom link, please send an email to mvoggena@uni-koeln.de or k.salimkhani@uni-koeln.de with your name and affiliation.

Website: https://philevents.org/event/show/112966

Organizers:
Martin Voggenauer
Kian Salimkhani

CfR: Trivalent Suspension, Uncertainty and Reasoning with Conditionals, University of Regensburg, August 30 – September 1, 2023

Aims:
The international workshop on “Trivalent Suspension, Uncertainty and 
Reasoning with Conditionals” (TSUC) aims to bring together renowned 
researchers from philosophy, logic, formal epistemology, and mathematics 
to discuss the major issues, contemporary methodologies that have arisen 
in the study of suspension, uncertainty, and conditionals. We would like 
to investigate a specific perspective concerning trivalent logic, 
probability and conditionals. Specifically, this workshop intends to 
bring together researchers to introduce and discuss i) major TSUC 
research issues that have arisen in recent years, ii) innovative 
methodologies developed in response to such issues, iii) the connections 
between the three components of TSUC, and iv) major TSUC research 
challenges in its future development. Such research issues include the 
formal models of judgment suspension, indeterminism, uncertainty 
inference, many-valued connectives and consequences, subjective prob- 
ability, conditional probabilities, trivalent conditionals, branching 
time structure, and so forth. We will be able to understand the major 
issues, and research problems and gaps for the future development of TSUC.

Speakers:
Caitlin Canonica (Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Germany)
John Cantwell (KTH Kungliga Tekniska högskolan, Sweden)
Massimiliano Carrara (Università degli Studi di Padova, Italy)
Mario Günther (Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Germany)
Sven Ove Hansson (KTH Kungliga Tekniska högskolan, Sweden)
Tim Kraft (University of Regensburg, Germany)
Ondrej Majer (Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Czech Republic)
Niki Pfeifer (University of Regensburg, Germany)
Hans Rott (University of Regensburg, Germany)
Giuseppe Sanfilippo (Università degli Studi di Palermo, Italy)
Daniela Schuster (Universität Konstanz, Germany)
Verena Wagner (Universität Konstanz, Germany)
Wei Zhu (University of Regensburg, Germany)

Organisers:
Hans Rott, Niki Pfeifer, Wei Zhu (Department of Philosophy, University 
of Regensburg)

For titles, abstracts, and updates to the program please check out our 
website at

https://go.uni-regensburg.de/tsuc

CfR: “Explainable AI and Society” Lecture Series, Winter Semester 23/24, online/TU Dortmund

Call for Registration: “Explainable AI and Society” Lecture Series

The 4th installment of the lecture series “Explainable AI and Society” will take place during the winter semester 2023/2024, online and in person at TU Dortmund.

Modern AI can be used to drive cars, to decide on loans, or to detect cancer. Yet, the inner workings of many AI systems remain hidden – even to experts. Given the crucial role that AI systems play in modern society, this seems unacceptable. But how can we make complex, self-learning systems explainable? What kinds of explanations are we looking for when demanding that AI must be explainable? And which societal, ethical and legal desiderata can actually be satisfied via explainability?

The interdisciplinary, hybrid lecture series presents the latest research on these and related topics and invites exchange with researchers, students, and the interested public.

Lecture Dates

  • 19.10.23, 6.15 p.m. (CEST): Claus Beisbart, University of Bern (philosophy): 
    “Explained – agreed. On the consequences of informed consent on explainability”
  • 16.11.23, 6.15 p.m. (CET): Emmanuel Müller, TU Dortmund (computer science): 
    “Trustworthy Machine Learning”
  • 14.12.23, 6.15 p.m. (CET): Anne Lauber-Rönsberg, TU Dresden (law): 
    “A Legal Perspective on Explainable AI: Why, How Much and For Whom?”
  • 18.01.24, 6.15 p.m. (CET): Gudela Grote, ETH Zurich (psychology): 
    “Organizing AI: How to shape accountable AI development and use” 


Registration

To register, send an e-mail with the title “Registration” to sara.mann@tu-dortmund.de. Include which lecture(s) you would like to attend and whether you will attend online or in person.

For further information visit https://explainable-intelligent.systems/forthcoming-lectures/

The lecture series is organized by the research project “Explainable Intelligent Systems“, funded by the Volkswagen Foundation.

RUB, History, Philosophy and Culture of Science

Dear colleagues and students,

please find here some information about the two-year Master program “History, Philosophy and Culture of Science” (HPS+) offered by the Philosophy Department in cooperation with other Departments at Ruhr-University Bochum (RUB): HPS+-info [1]

An important novelty is that from now on a specialization in logic (next to a focus on HPS) is also possible. (The title of the program will show this soon).

If you see opportunities to announce our Master program in your field and / or to draw the attention of suitable students to it, we would be very pleased!
There will be a hybrid info event on Wednesday, July 5, 11:00 AM (CET). Interested students can contact us via our homepage (https://www.hpsplus.org/contact) and will receive a Zoom-link in advance.

Many thanks in advance and kind regards,
The HPS+-Team

[1] Link to HPS+Info: https://www.hpsplus.org/_files/ugd/70ba36_996d5eec22e6406c9bb9726ea9645f1a.pdf