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

CfA: Postdoc position, 75% (Institute of Philosophy, University of Bern, Deadline: November 17, 2019)

Submitted by Vera Hoffmann-Kolss (University of Bern).

Postdoc position (75%), Institute of Philosophy, University of Bern

The Institute of Philosophy at the University of Bern (Logic and Theoretical Philosophy Division, Prof. Dr. Vera Hoffmann-Kolss) invites applications for a postdoc position (75%, for 3 years) to begin January 2020 (or later). The successful applicant is expected to carry out an independent research project on a topic in metaphysics or philosophy of mind and to teach three classes per year.

The successful applicant will

  • have an excellent PhD in philosophy and a strong background in metaphysics,
    philosophy of mind or philosophy of science
  • be able to carry out research at an internationally competitive level
  • have very good writing and presentation skills in English
  • be able to teach classes in German
  • have a strong interest in organizing and participating in conferences, workshops and meetings

Your application should include

  • a letter of motivation
  • your CV
  • academic certificates
  • a letter of recommendation (e.g. by your PhD supervisor)
  • a writing sample in English (not exceeding 10,000 words).

The University of Bern is particularly interested in applications from female candidates for this position and therefore strongly encourages women to apply. Applications from disabled candidates will be given preference in case of equal qualification.

Please send your application documents as a single pdf to Prof. Dr. Vera Hoffmann-Kolss (vera.hoffmann-kolss@philo.unibe.ch) by November 17, 2019. For further information please contact Vera Hoffmann-Kolss.

CfA: PhD position, 65% (Institute of Philosophy, University of Bern, Deadline: November 17, 2019)

Submitted by Vera Hoffmann-Kolss (University of Bern).

 

PhD position (65%), Institute of Philosophy, University of Bern

The Institute of Philosophy at the University of Bern (Logic and Theoretical Philosophy Division, Prof. Dr. Vera Hoffmann-Kolss) invites applications for a PhD position (65%, for 3 years) to begin January 2020 (or later). The successful applicant is expected to carry out a PhD project on a topic in metaphysics or philosophy of mind.

The successful applicant will

  • have an excellent master’s degree in philosophy (or an equivalent qualification) and an interest in metaphysics, philosophy of mind or philosophy of science; knowledge of the philosophical debate on causation is an advantage, but not mandatory
  • have very good writing and presentation skills in English
  • have a strong interest in organizing and participating in conferences, workshops and meetings

Your application should include

  • a letter of motivation
  • your CV
  • academic certificates
  • a letter of recommendation
  • a writing sample (not exceeding 10,000 words)

The University of Bern is particularly interested in applications from female candidates for this position and therefore strongly encourages women to apply. Applications from disabled candidates will be given preference in case of equal qualification.

Please send your application documents as a single pdf to Prof. Dr. Vera Hoffmann-Kolss (vera.hoffmann-kolss@philo.unibe.ch) by November 17, 2019. For further information please contact Vera Hoffmann-Kolss.

CfA: Professur für Philosophie (Bergische Universität Wuppertal, Deadline: November 30, 2019)

Submitted by Marij van Strien (Bergische Universität Wuppertal).

 

Am Interdisziplinären Zentrum für Wissenschafts- und Technikforschung (IZWT) ist zum 1. Oktober 2020 oder früher

eine Universitätsprofessur für Philosophie (Bes.-Gruppe: W2 LBesG NRW (gem. § 36 HG NRW))

zu besetzen.

Innerhalb des IZWT und in seinem forschungsstarken Umfeld kommt der gut ausgestatteten Professur eine gestaltende Funktion zu. Fachlich ist die Professur im Philosophischen Seminar angesiedelt und vertritt dort das Fach eigenständig in systematischer und historischer Breite.

Die Stelle hat den thematischen Schwerpunkt in Wissenschaftsphilosophie und/oder Wissenschaftstheorie. Zu den Aufgaben der Professur gehört die aktive Mitarbeit im IZWT, insbesondere die Fähigkeit zur Verbindung philosophischer, historischer und soziologischer Perspektiven in der Wissenschaftsforschung. Von der Stelleninhaberin bzw. vom Stelleninhaber wird die Fähigkeit erwartet, das bestehende Profil der Philosophie der Naturwissenschaften oder der Mathematik im IZWT und im Philosophischen Seminar fortzuführen und auszubauen. Ein Teil der Pflichten der Professur in der Lehre besteht in der obligatorischen „Einführung in die Logik“ für die Studierenden.

Erfahrung in der Einwerbung und Leitung von Drittmittelprojekten ist erwünscht.

Die Mitarbeit in der akademischen Selbstverwaltung wird als selbstverständlich erachtet.

Die Bergische Universität betrachtet die Gleichstellung von Frauen und Männern als eine wichtige Aufgabe, an deren Umsetzung die zukünftige Stelleninhaberin/der zukünftige Stelleninhaber mitwirkt.

Einstellungsvoraussetzungen

Von der Bewerberin/dem Bewerber wird neben der pädagogischen Eignung eine besondere Befähigung zu wissenschaftlicher Arbeit erwartet. Diese wird durch über die Promotion hinaus erbrachte einschlägige wissenschaftliche Leistungen nachgewiesen. Sofern die Bewerberin/der Bewerber bisher kein Professorenamt bekleidet hat, werden diese Leistungen im Rahmen einer Junior-professur erbracht; sie können im Übrigen insbesondere auch im Rahmen einer Habilitation oder einer Tätigkeit als wissenschaftliche Mitarbeiterin oder als wissenschaftlicher Mitarbeiter an einer Hochschule oder einer außeruniversitären Forschungseinrichtung oder im Rahmen einer wissenschaftlichen Tätigkeit in Wirtschaft, Verwaltung oder in einem anderen gesellschaftlichen Bereich im In- oder Ausland erbracht werden.

Kennziffer: P19009

Bewerbungen sind mit Lebenslauf, Zeugniskopien, Schriftenverzeichnis und ggf. Verzeichnis der bisherigen Lehrveranstaltungen postalisch (bitte zusätzlich in einer einzelnen auf USB-Stick oder CD gespeicherten pdf-Datei) unter der Kennziffer P19009 zu richten an den Dekan der Fakultät für Geistes- und Kulturwissenschaften, Herrn Univ.-Prof. Dr. Gerrit Walther, Bergische Universität Wuppertal, 42097 Wuppertal.

Auf elektronischem Wege übermittelte Bewerbungen können nicht berücksichtigt werden.

Bewerbungen von Frauen sind ausdrücklich erwünscht. Frauen werden nach Maßgabe des Landesgleichstellungsgesetzes NRW bevorzugt berücksichtigt, sofern nicht in der Person eines Mitbewerbers liegende Gründe überwiegen. Die Rechte der Schwerbehinderten, bei gleicher Eignung bevorzugt berücksichtigt zu werden, bleiben unberührt.

Bewerbungsfrist: 30.11.2019

CfP: Special Issue: Forms, Kinds, Essences (LAHP 23.2, Extended Deadline: November 30, 2019)

Submitted by Petter Sandstad (University of Rostock).

 

Volume 23.2 of Logical Analysis and History of Philosophy will explore the history of the closely related concepts of form, kind, and essence. These concepts are currently the objects of much study, in particular within metaphysics and philosophy of science. Yet much of the historical background remains under-researched.

Possible topics for papers are any historical treatment of these concepts within philosophy. Naturally, Aristotle remains the locus classicus, and papers on Aristotle and form (eidos, morphē), kind (genos), and essence (to ti ēn einai) are very welcome. However, other figures are also highly relevant. Platonic ideas are without a doubt an important precursor to Aristotle’s notions. And later treatments of these issues in ancient or medieval philosophy would also fit well into the volume. All three concepts later received much criticism during the early modern period, among others from Descartes, Locke, and Giordano Bruno, to such a degree that these concepts  more or less fell out of favour – although, they were also defended or used by philosophers such as Leibniz, Bacon, and Spinoza. Papers dealing with the criticism of forms, kinds, and essences in early modern philosophy, as well as their defence, would likewise be of  interest. Despite  the early modern critique, forms, kinds, and essences remained parts of philosophy, although they were occasionally seen as eccentric and peripheral. Things changed again in the early 20th century: especially the concept of essence (Wesen) resurfaced in Husserl, as well as Jean Hering and Roman Ingarden. Further, Peter Geach’s essentialism and his thesis of sortal-relative identity have been more or less forgotten, while Saul Kripke’s modal rehabilitation of essentiality has become part of the mainstream.

According to the current publication plans of Logical Analysis and History of Philosophy, our issue will appear in print in late 2020. Since Logical Analysis and History of Philosophy is a peer-reviewed journal, we will need to receive submissions by 30 November 2019.

Ludger Jansen (Bochum/Rostock) and Petter Sandstad (Rostock) will serve as Guest-Editors for this volume. For further inquiries, please contact

Ludger Jansen (ludger.jansen@uni-rostock.de)

Petter Sandstad (petter.sandstad@uni-rostock.de)

https://dbs-lin.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/philosophy/pla/?q=home-call#forms

CfP: Bayesian Epistemology: Perspectives and Challenges (LMU Munich, August 10-14, 2020, Deadline: January 11, 2020)

Submitted by Jürgen Landes (MCMP, LMU Munich).

 

The Munich Center for Mathematical Philosophy invites submissions for the following event:

Bayesian Epistemology: Perspectives and Challenges

MCMP, LMU Munich

August 10-14, 2020

https://www.mcmp.philosophie.uni-muenchen.de/events/workshops/container/bayesian_epistemology_2020/index.html



The conference on 12-14 August 2020 is preceded by a Summer School on 10-11 August 2020.

Bayesian epistemology remains the dominant account of rational beliefs, it underpins the dominant account of decision making in science and beyond, as well as many of our statistical methods.
While important applications continue to to emerge, the work on the foundations of Bayesian epistemology never stops and a number of challenges are emerging.
The aim of this conference is bring together scholars exploring applications, challenges and foundations of Bayesian epistemology.

Call for papers
Please, prepare an abstract (up to 1 page) for double-blind peer-review and submit via easychair until 11. Jan 2020.
Final decisions of acceptance will be made with considerations of diversity in mind. Some preference may be given to less senior scholars.
Some contributions may be accepted as poster presentations, this will depend on quality and quantity of submissions received.Please, indicate whether you are interested in presenting your submission also as a poster.
Please, also indicate whether you would like to contribute a manuscript (rather than a talk) to a special issue dedicated to the issues of the conference.

Organizers
Jürgen Landes (MCMP, LMU Munich)

CfA: Summer School: Representation in Art and Science (University of Vienna, July 6-17, 2020, Deadline: February 15, 2020)

(Submitted by Vienna Circle Society).

Call For Application (Deadline: February 15, 2020)

REPRESENTATION IN ART AND SCIENCE

Univie Summer School – Scientific World Conceptions (USS-SWC) July 6–17, 2020

The Univie Summer School – Scientific World Conceptions (USS-SWC) – until 2014 under the label “Vienna International Summer University” – will be held from July 6 to 17, 2020. The topic of the two-week course is “Representation in Art and Science ”. The main lecturers are Chiara Ambrosio (University College London), Angela Breitenbach (University of Cambridge) and Dominic McIver Lopes (University of British Columbia).

As an international interdisciplinary program, USS SWC brings graduate students in close contact with world-renowned scholars. The program is directed primarily to graduate students and junior researchers in fields related to the annual topic, but the organizers also encourage applications from gifted undergraduates and from people in all stages of their career who wish to broaden their horizon through crossdisciplinary studies of methodological and foundational issues in science.

The topic of the two-week course is ”Representation in Art and Science “:

The “two cultures” meme encourages a picture of art and science as opposites, and as sharing so little in common that it is difficult to “bridge” a deep gap between them. In fact, however, the arts and the sciences share many of the same representational tools, and exploit many of the same cognitive processes responsible for the working of those representational tools. This two-week workshop explores what can be learned about the arts and the sciences through an examination of their common languages, practices, and methodologies. Topics to be covered include: depiction, fiction and imagination, narrative, metaphor and analogy, and aesthetic value in science and the arts. Drawing on historical and contemporary approaches, we will examine the epistemic role of these phenomena in the sciences and also to their role in presenting scientific results.

Topics will include:

  • art and science — two cultures?
  • theories of depiction and images in science
  • theories of fiction and models as fictions
  • aesthetic value in science
  • metaphor in science
  • imagination in art and science

Application form and further information: http://www.univie.ac.at/vcs/SWC/

The Lecturers:

Chiara Ambrosio (University College London)

https://www.ucl.ac.uk/sts/people/dr-chiara-ambrosio

Angela Breitenbach (University of Cambridge)

http://angelabreitenbach.weebly.com/

Dominic McIver Lopes (University of British Columbia)

http://lopes.mentalpaint.net/

USS-SWC operates under the academic supervision of an International Program Committee of distinguished philosophers, historians, and scientists. Its members represent the scientific fields in the scope of USS-SWC, make contact to their home universities and will also support acknowledgement of courses taken by the students. USS-SWC is organised every year by the Institute Vienna Circle of the University of Vienna.

http://www.univie.ac.at/vcs/

http://wienerkreis.univie.ac.at/

Opening

Venue: Erika-Weinzierl-Saal, University of Vienna, Main Building, Universitätsring 1, 1010 Wien

Time: Monday, July 6, 2020, 9 a.m.

Further Information

www.univie.ac.at/vcs/SWC

From 2010 to 2018 USS-SWC was a part of the curriculum of the doctoral programme “The Sciences in Historical, Philosophical and Cultural Contexts”

http://dkplus-sciences-contexts.univie.ac.at/

There is an exchange programme with Duke University (North Carolina):

http://international.univie.ac.at/outgoing-students/non-eu-student-exchange-program/kom-2-bewerbungsunterlagen/

For further inquiries, please send email to martin.kusch@univie.ac.at or consult the IVC’s Web site.

Inquiries:

Organisation:

Robert Kaller

Institute Vienna Circle

Alserstraße 23

Top 32

1080 Wien

vcs@univie.ac.at

Tel. +43-1-4277-41232

Scientific director:

Prof. Martin Kusch

Department of Philosophy

University of Vienna

martin.kusch@univie.ac.at

 

Wiener Kreis Gesellschaft/Vienna Circle Society

Universitätscampus, Hof 1

Spitalgasse 2-4

A-1090 Wien, Austria

Tel:  +43-1-4277 46504

Fax: +43-1-4277 9465

vcs@univie.ac.at

http://www.univie.ac.at/vcs/

CfA: Junior Professor for Philosophy of Science; W1, without tenure track (Bielefeld University, Deadline: October 31, 2019)

Submitted by Marie I. Kaiser (Bielefeld University).

The Department of Philosophy within the Faculty for History, Philosophy, and Theology is seeking to fill the position of a

Junior Professor for Philosophy of Science (W1, no tenure track)

starting as soon as possible.

The successful candidate (f/m) has an independent and innovative research profile in the philosophy of science, which is closely linked to at least one of the research foci in philosophy of science of the Department: (1) philosophy of the life sciences and (2) science and society. We expect philosophical research aiming for peer-reviewed publications of international renown.

The successful candidate shows an autonomous and active manner of working, the ability to work as a member of a team, and a clear willingness to contribute to shaping the Department’s activities. Applicants are preferred to show documented experience in acquiring research grants. We expect a commitment to apply for third-party funding, to develop new interdisciplinary collaborations, and to engage in the existing research projects and collaborations at the “Institute for Interdisciplinary Studies of Science (I2SoS)“.

The successful applicant will teach and supervise students from all bachelor and master programs in philosophy and from the master program “History, Economics and Philosophy of Science (HEPS)“. Successful candidates are expected to have appropriate teaching experience in philosophy of science, to teach on subjects within philosophy of science and theoretical philosophy beyond their own research foci, and to adapt their teaching styles and approaches to the specific needs and capabilities of our students.

Preconditions for the professorship are a university degree in philosophy, pedagogical aptitude, as well as a doctorate in philosophy of science. Applications from abroad are welcome. Applicants for which German is not a first language should be able to teach courses in German, in addition to courses in English, within about a year of hiring.

The appointment will be for three years. Given a successful evaluation in accordance with the general Bielefeld guidelines, it can be extended for another three years.

Applications from suitably qualified handicapped and severely handicapped persons are explicitly encouraged.

Bielefeld University has received a number of awards for its achievements in the provision of equal opportunity and has been recognized as a family-friendly university. The university welcomes applications from women. This is particularly true with regard both to academic and technical posts as well as positions in Information Technology and Craft. Applications are handled according to the state’s equal opportunity statutes.

Applications must include the usual documents (cv, list of publications, list of courses taught, copies of academic degrees). Applications must also include (1) a five-page overview of your research profile, including an outline of a future research project, (2) a three-page summary of your dissertation, (3) a three-page teaching concept, and (4) one of your best publications (up to 20 pages). The application can be written in German or English.

The Faculty places great emphasis on gender equality and expects the future post holder to contribute to its continued implementation.

Applications should be send by e-mail as a single PDF document to bewerbung-gephth@uni-bielefeld.de
by October 31, 2019.

Alternatively, applications can be sent by regular mail to:
Universität Bielefeld
Fakultät für Geschichtswissenschaft, Philosophie und Theologie
Postfach 10 01 31
33501 Bielefeld

Please do not send any originals, as the received documents will be destroyed at the end of the proceedings.

Please note that risks to confidentiality and unauthorized access by third parties cannot be ruled out when communicating via unencrypted e-mail. Information on the processing of personal data can be found at  https://www.uni-bielefeld.de/Universitaet/Aktuelles/Stellenausschreibungen/2019_DS-Hinweise_englisch.pdf

CfP: How Quantum Mechanics Changed Philosophy (University of Wuppertal, January 16-17, 2020, Deadline: November 1, 2019)

Submitted by Marij van Strien (Bergische Universität Wuppertal).

 

Call for Papers

How Quantum Mechanics Changed Philosophy

Bergische Universität Wuppertal, January 16-17, 2020

The aim of this workshop is to explore the implications of quantum mechanics for philosophy, both historically and in contemporary debates. Quantum mechanics is generally regarded as a fundamental theory of nature, and at the same time as problematic to understand. The particular issues raised by quantum mechanics have had repercussions for the general understanding of science as well as of the nature of reality. Many philosophers of natural science have been particularly interested in quantum mechanics – reflections on quantum mechanics play a role in the philosophical work of e.g. Reichenbach, Cassirer, Popper, Kuhn, Feyerabend, Putnam, Van Fraassen and Cartwright. At the same time, it has been argued that in certain areas of philosophy, quantum mechanics is unjustifiably ignored.

The workshop aims to explore the roles of reflections on quantum mechanics in wider philosophical debates, from the early 20th century until the present, concerning for example causality, realism, the nature of objects, naturalism, and the very idea of what a scientific theory can look like.

Keynote speakers

  • Yemima Ben-Menahem (Hebrew University of Jerusalem)
  • Michael Esfeld (University of Lausanne)
  • Jan Faye (University of Copenhagen)
  • F. A. Muller (Erasmus University Rotterdam)
  • Juha Saatsi (University of Leeds)

In order to apply, please send an abstract of max. 400 words to vanstrien@uni-wuppertal.de, by 1 November.

CfA: PostDoc & PhDs in philosophy, history and social studies of biology (Ruhr University Bochum, Deadline October 15, 2019)

Submitted by Jan Baedke (Ruhr University Bochum).

 

Call for Applications:
1x Post-Doc position and 2x PhD positions in philosophy, history, and social studies of biology, Department of Philosophy I, Ruhr University Bochum

The Institute of Philosophy I at the Ruhr University Bochum seeks applications for one Post-Doctoral Research Position and two PhD Student Positions in the field of philosophy, history and social studies of biology. They will be part of the Emmy Noether-rese¬arch group “The Return of the Organism in the Biosciences: Theoretical, Historical, and Social Dimensions” (PI Dr. Jan Baedke), financed by the DFG (German Research Foundation). Project description: https://bit.ly/32bKSnH

• Duration: 3 years
• Planned starting date: 1st January 2020
• Deadline for application: 15th October 2019

For details on the Call for Applications for the Post-Doctoral Researcher Position, please visit: https://bit.ly/2HvI6Sy
For details on the Call for Applications for the PhD Student Positions, please visit: https://bit.ly/2HwtQZE

For further inquiries please contact jan.baedke@rub.de.

CfP: Workshop on CAILIN O’CONNOR’S ‘THE ORIGINS OF UNFAIRNESS’ AND RELATED METHODOLOGICAL ISSUES (University of Zurich, October 12, 2019, Deadline: September 24, 2019)

Submitted by Catherine Herfeld (University of Zurich).

 

WORKSHOP: CAILIN O’CONNOR’S ‘THE ORIGINS OF UNFAIRNESS’ AND RELATED METHODOLOGICAL ISSUES

LOCATION: Institute of Philosophy, University of Zurich
DATE: Saturday, October 12, 2019
KEYNOTE SPEAKER: Cailin O’Connor (University of California, Irvine)
ORGANIZER: Catherine Herfeld (University of Zurich, Switzerland)

This is a one-day workshop that enables discussion about Cailin O’Connor’s recent book ‘The Origins of Unfairness’ published in 2019 by Oxford University Press. The workshop will furthermore discuss methodological questions that this research gives directly or indirectly rise to, namely the status and usefulness of formal and empirical methods in philosophy, an issue that currently gains more attention in philosophical discussion. There are a few slots for contributed talks. We invite submissions that either directly engage with Cailin O’Connor’s research or that aim to contribute to this ongoing discussion on the role of formal and empirical methods in philosophy more generally.

Please submit a short abstract of 100 words in English and with a title (copied in the body of the email) to catherine.herfeld@uzh.ch the latest by September 24, 2019. Authors will be notified shortly thereafter.

Apart from all matters related to O’Connor’s research, some of the more generally questions that will also be discussed at the workshop are:
• What can formal methods, such as game theory and evolutionary game theory, teach us in
philosophy, particularly in ethics, as opposed to more traditional methods?
• Is the next natural step of formal philosophy to go empirical? If so, how can we still
distinguish it from science?
• Is there a difference between ethics and other philosophical areas, such as philosophy of
science, regarding the usefulness of empirical methods?
• Are formal methods from economics appropriate for the study of issues related to
feminism and inequity?
• Are there risks to using simplified models to study social phenomena where a great deal
is at stake?

For further inquiries, please contact the organiser at: catherine.herfeld@uzh.ch

CfR: Bayes By the Sea (Ancona, August 30-31)

Submitted by William Peden (Univpm Ancona; Durham).

Conference Announcement

Bayes By the Sea: “Formal Epistemology, Statistics, and Game Theory”,

Ancona, The Marche – Italy, 30-31 August 2019.

The second edition of the Bayes By the Sea conference: “Formal Epistemology, Statistics, and Game Theory” aims to bring together philosophers of statistics and of the scientific method, methodologists and metascientists, as well as economists and game-theorists, in order to refresh the debate on the foundations of the sciences from new perspectives, with a special focus on scientific rationality, scientific misconduct, science economics, foundations of statistics and the scientific method, in diverse scientific ecosystems characterized by distinctive practices, structures, and institutions. 
A special attention will be devoted this year also to formal/conceptual tools of game theory/rational choice theory in representing and studying the interactions of agents operating in scientific ecosystems as strategic behavior of rational players, whose repeated interactions shape the current scientific practices.

Keynote Speakers:

Andrés Pereas (Maastricht)

Teddy Seidenfeld (Carnegie Mellon)

Jan Sprenger (Turin)

Conference Program

Organisers:

Stefano Bonzio (Univpm Ancona)

William Peden (Univpm Ancona; Durham)

Barbara Osimani (Univpm Ancona; LMU)

Mantas Radzvilas (MCMP/LMU Munich)

Todd Stambaugh (MCMP/LMU Munich; CUNY)

Contact: s.oreficini@staff.univpm.it

CfP: Special Issue on Dark Matter & Modified Gravity (Deadline: December 1, 2019)

Submitted by Niels Martens (RWTH Aachen University).
 

Special Issue on Dark Matter & Modified Gravity

Studies in History and Philosophy of Modern Physics

Deadline: 1 DECEMBER 2019

INTERDISCIPLINARY PERSPECTIVES ON DARK MATTER & MODIFIED GRAVITY

Astrophysical and cosmological observations as well as explanatory gaps in the Standard Model of particle physics imply the existence of dark matter and/or a modification of our best theory of space, time and gravity, namely general relativity and its Newtonian limit. We invite historical and/or philosophical contributions on dark matter (DM) and/or modified gravity (MG) and especially the interface between these two research programmes. Possible topics include, but are not limited to:

  • The underdetermination between DM and MG
  • Is a strict conceptual distinction between DM and MG justified? How does this relate to the distinction between matter and spacetime?
  • What are the explanatory successes and failures of the DM research programme, and of the MG research programme? Which models of explanation are being employed by the respective programmes, and how do those relate?
  • How do data, constraints and explanations at the LHC, in astrophysics and cosmology relate? Could the LHC, in principle, confirm dark matter by itself?
  • Virtues and vices of simplified (dark matter) models. Do simplified models explain?
  • Hybrid models, fifth forces & exotic theories that are neither MG nor DM
  • Connections between dark energy and DM/MG
  • How to proceed in light of the small scale problems?
  • Novel predictions, fine-tuning and falsifiability
  • Sociology of the DM-MG debate (but please note that papers should in the first instance be historical and/or philosophical)

Guest editors:

Miguel Ángel Carretero Sahuquillo (University of Wuppertal)

Michael Krämer (RWTH Aachen University)

Dennis Lehmkuhl (University of Bonn)

Niels Martens (RWTH Aachen University) (Contact person: martens@physik.rwth-aachen.de)

Erhard Scholz (University of Wuppertal)

Submissions should follow the standard guidelines of the journal. https://www.journals.elsevier.com/studies-in-history-and-philosophy-of-science-part-b-studies-in-history-and-philosophy-of-modern-physics When submitting, authors should select, for Issue Type, “VSI: Dark Matter & Modified Gravity.”  There’s a drop-down menu when you begin the submission process.

CfA: Associate Professor or Full Professor in “Philosophy of Technology” (TU Munich, Deadline: August 31, 2019)

Submitted by Stefan März (TU Munich).

 

Associate Professor or Full Professor in Philosophy of Technology

The Technical University of Munich (TUM) invites applications for the position of Associate Professor or Full Professor in Philosophy of Technology to begin as soon as possible. The position is a tenured W3 position.

Scientific environment
The professorship belongs to the TUM School of Governance (GOV) and will be affiliated with the Integrative Research Center (IRC) Munich Center for Technology in Society (MCTS). The TUM School of Govern-ance focuses its research and teaching on the interaction between politics, society and technology, for instance to integrate future technologies into the political dialogue and decision-making. The MCTS is rep-resenting a cross-faculty integrative research center focusing its activities in interdisciplinary research, teaching, outreach, on the interface between science, technology and society.

Responsibilities
The responsibilities include research and teaching as well as the promotion of early-career scientists. We seek to appoint an expert in the research area of philosophy of technology. The teaching load includes courses in the university’s bachelor and master programs, especially in the study programs of GOV and MCTS.

Qualifications
We are looking for a candidate with high international reputation who has demonstrated an outstanding academic record and an internationally recognized research program, according to the relevant career level. A university degree and an outstanding doctoral degree or equivalent scientific qualification as well as pedagogical aptitude, including the ability to teach in English, are also prerequisites. Substantial research experience abroad is expected. Ideally, the candidate holds degrees both in philosophy as well as in engineering or natural science. An innovative interdisciplinary research profile in the philosophy of technology with potential links between ethics and/or engineering or natural science as well as experiences in applying for third-party funding for interdisciplinary and/or international research projects are expected.

Our Offer
Based on best international standards and transparent performance criteria, TUM offers a merit-based academic career option from a permanent position as Associate Professor to Full Professor. The regulations of TUM Faculty Recruitment and Career System apply. TUM provides excellent working conditions in a lively scientific community, embedded in the vibrant research environment of the Greater Munich Area. The TUM Munich Dual Career Office (MDCO) provides tailored career consulting to the partners of newly appointed professors. MDCO gives assistance for relocation and integration of new professors, their partners and accompanying family members.

Your Application
TUM is an equal opportunity employer. As such, we explicitly encourage applications from women. Applications​ from disabled persons with essentially the same qualifications will be given preference. Application documents should be presented in accordance with TUM’s application guidelines for professors. These guidelines and detailed information about the TUM Appointment and Career System are available on http://www.tum.de/faculty-recruiting. Here, you will also find TUM’s information on collecting and processing personal data as part of the application process.

Please send your application no later than August 31, 2019 to the Dean of the TUM School of Governance, Prof. Eugénia da Conceição-Heldt, Richard-Wagner-Strasse 1, 80333 Munich, Email address for applications: dekanat@gov.tum.de

CfR: All Things Reichenbach (LMU Munich, July 22-24, 2019, Registration Deadline: July 15, 2019)

Submitted by Erik Curiel (MCMP, LMU Munich).

 

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

The Munich Center for Mathematical Philosophy invites registration for the following event:

All Things Reichenbach

MCMP, LMU Munich

22-24 July, 2019

http://www.lmu.de/reichenbach2019

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Hans Reichenbach (1891-1953), one of the founding fathers of Logical Empiricism, is among the most important philosophers of science of the Twentieth Century and without doubt one of the most prominent philosophers of physics of the first half of the past century.  Many of his ideas still retain their interest in current philosophy of science, and his work continues to be influential, often in unnoticed but deep ways.  This conference is dedicated to highlighting the importance of Reichenbach and his legacy, across all areas of his thought, specifically focusing on the issues raised within his work, and on the current debates surrounding them.

Registration
Please send registration requests by 15 July 2019 to the co-chair Erik Curiel.  The email should have the subject: “register Reichenbach conference” and should indicate whether you plan to attend the conference dinner (23 July, 2019).  The conference dinner will cost EUR 35 (alcohol not included).

Regular conference fee: EUR 80
Reduced conference fee (graduate students, etc.): EUR 50
Conference dinner (alcohol not included): EUR 35

Dates and Deadines
Registration Deadline: 15 July 2019

Organizers
Erik Curiel, MCMP/LMU Munich (co-chair)
Flavia Padovani, Department of English & Philosophy, Drexel University (co-chair)

Acknowledgements
The conference is organized and supported by the Munich Center for Mathematical Philosophy (LMU Munich).  The conference is partly funded by a grant from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, and from the Lichtenberg Group for History and Philosophy of Physics at the University of Bonn.

CfP: Deadline Extension: Conference “Public Research and Private Knowledge – Science in Times of Diverse Research Funding” (Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg, March 26-27, 2020, Extended Deadline: July 21, 2019)

Submitted by Sebastian Schuol (Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg).

CfP: Conference “Public Research and Private Knowledge – Science in Times of Diverse Research Funding”

March 26-27, 2020
Center for Applied Philosophy of Science and Key Qualifications (ZiWiS)
Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (Germany)

Extended Deadline for Abstract Submission: July 21st, 2019.
Notification of Acceptance: August 15th, 2019.

Topic:
The production and distribution of knowledge is a key process in scientific and scholarly inquiry. However, this process is not and has never been limited to universities and public research institutes alone, but extends to agents as diverse as the Research & Development Departments of companies, citizen scientists, and private non-profit research institutes. In recent years, these agents have shown an increased interest in basic ˗ as opposed to applied ˗ science, for example in fields of rising social significance such as AI or biomedical technology. These specific research interests in turn direct attention to the sources of funding, and, as a consequence, to the direction of inquiry and the accessibility of results.
The main problem that arises from this development can be expressed in two questions: First, does the influence of private funding change the selection of research topics in an epistemically or otherwise (un-)desirable direction? And second, does it lead to a privatization of knowledge, and if so, what are the consequences of this privatization?
Some key questions in this area of investigation are:

  • Where do new sources of research funding come from, and how important a role do they play? Which agents foster the development, which methods do they use, and what are their primary motivations?
  • What are the epistemic consequences, and who is affected by them? What is the impact of business interests on epistemic norms and ideals, and are there any (additional) sources of bias to be expected?
  • Have there been any (changes of) institutional structures in the last decades that have stimulated or hindered these tendencies? Which historical idea of science is at stake? Which factors affected the practices of organizing the production and distribution of scientific knowledge during the second half of the 20th century?
  • Is academic freedom threatened by these developments, and if so, to what extent? How could it be maintained? What are the epistemic effects of endowment chairs and industry-sponsored PhD projects?

This set of questions requires an epistemological assessment as well as a historical, sociological, and economic perspective. Therefore, the interdisciplinary conference of the Center for Applied Philosophy of Science and Key Qualifications at Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (Germany) aims at bringing together researchers from all pertinent fields in order to further our understanding of this apparent organizational shift in knowledge production and distribution and to accurately evaluate the challenges and opportunities it presents.

Keynote speakers:
Manuela Fernández Pinto (Universidad de los Andes)
Bennett Holman (Yonsei University)
Naomi Oreskes (Harvard University)
Sergio Sismondo (Queen’s University, Kingston)

Call for Papers:
There are several slots for presentations (up to 20 minutes for the talk, followed by 10 minutes for discussion).
Please send an anonymized abstract (approx. 500 words) and a separate document specifying your general information (name, contact, affiliation) by July 21st 2019 (extended deadline) to ziwis-conference@fau.de. Notifications of acceptance will be sent out by August 15th. We welcome proposals from individuals at all stages of their career.
Please note that unfortunately we cannot cover expenses for travel and accommodation. The conference fee (80 € / 50 €) also applies to accepted speakers.

Conference Fee and Details:
Conference fee: 80 € (includes lunch and coffee breaks on both days; reduced fee for students: 50 €)
Conference language: English
Conference website: http://www.ziwis.fau.de/public-research

Organizers:
Michael Jungert, Julia Böttcher, Jon Leefmann, Christoph Merdes, Sebastian Schuol
Center for Applied Philosophy of Science and Key Qualifications (ZiWiS)
Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (Germany)

CfA: Bayes By the Sea Summer School (Ancona, August 25 – September 1, 2019, Deadline: July 2, 2019)

Submitted by William J. Peden (University of Durham).

 

Call for Applications (CfA):

Summer School: Bayes By the Sea: “Formal Epistemology, Statistics, and Game Theory: The Summer School!”, 25 August -1 September 2019 Ancona, The Marche –Italy

The School aims to bring together international experts in such fields as philosophy of statistics, philosophy of science, game theory and social epistemology in order to address foundational questions in the sciences from new perspectives, with a special focus on formal models of social interactions and scientific inference.
In particular, students will attend to both theoretical lectures held by distinguished scholars in the fields and classes offering tutorials on formal methods and tools, as well as extensive overviews on the school related topics. Each of the school threads will be covered by interactive group work, excercises and one-to-one sessions, which will provide attendees with the opportunity to deepen their proficiency in a particular topic of interest.

In-depth lectures will be given on: Bayesian Philosophy of Science, Foundations of Statistics, Bayesian Statistics, Social Epistemology, Epistemic Game Theory, and Game-Theoretic Probability.

 

Lecturers:

  • Peter Brössel (Bochum)
  • Philip Dawid (Cambridge)
  • Anna-Maria Asunta Eder (Cologne)
  • Stephan Hartmann (Munich)
  • Andrés Perea (Maastricht)
  • Jan Sprenger (Turin)

Three distinct tutorials will be given by expert scholars, in order to offer students introductory overviews and hands-on classes on the topics, which they feel less familiar.

– Introduction to Imprecise Probability (Serena Doria)
– Introduction to Bayesian Epistemology (William Peden)
– Introduction to Game Theory (Mantas Radzvilas)
– R for Bayesian Statistics (Momme von Sydow).

Tuition Fees (100 Euros) will include breakfast and lunch breaks, social activities, as well as participation to the Bayes By the Sea Conference (30-31 August), to which Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit an abstract for a contributing paper/poster.

Deadline for application: 2nd of July 2019, APPLY HERE
A rich calendar of social activities will complement the fun!

Organisers:

Stefano Bonzio (Univpm Ancona)

William Peden (Univpm Ancona; Durham)

Barbara Osimani (Univpm Ancona; LMU)

Mantas Radzvilas (MCMP/LMU Munich)

Todd Stambaugh (MCMP/LMU Munich; CUNY)

Contact: s.oreficini@staff.univpm.it

CfP: BBS Conference: Formal Epistemology, Statistics and Game Theory (Ancona, August 30-31, 2019, Deadline: July 2, 2019)

Submitted by Barbara Osimani (Univpm Acona/MCMP).

 

Bayes By the Sea: “FormalEpistemology, Statistics, and Game Theory”,

Ancona, The Marche –Italy, 30-31 August 2019.

Extended deadline: 2nd July 2019. 

The second edition of the Bayes By the Sea conference: “Formal Epistemology, Statistics, and Game Theory” aims to bring together philosophers of statistics and of the scientific method, methodologists and metascientists, as well as economists and game-theorists, in order to refresh the debate on the foundations of the sciences from new perspectives, with a special focus on scientific rationality, scientific misconduct, science economics, foundations of statistics and the scientific method, in diverse scientific ecosystems characterized by distinctive practices, structures, and institutions.
A special attention will be devoted this year also to formal/conceptual tools of game theory/rational choice theory in representing and studying the interactions of agents operating in scientific ecosystems as strategic behavior of rational players, whose repeated interactions shape the current scientific practices.

Keynote Speakers:

  • Peter Brössel (Bochum)
  • Clelia Di Serio (Milan)
  • Andrés Pereas (Maastricht)
  • Jan Sprenger (Turin)

We welcome contributions from: (Formal/Social) Epistemology, Philosophy and Foundations of Statistics, Metascience and Scientific Methodology, (Epistemic) Game Theory, Decision Theory, Science Economics, Law, and Ethics.

Deadline for Paper/Poster Submission: 25th June 2019.

Please submit a short abstract (max 500 words) via Easychair.

 

Organisers:

Stefano Bonzio (Univpm Ancona)

William Peden (Univpm Ancona; Durham)

Barbara Osimani (Univpm Ancona; LMU)

Mantas Radzvilas (MCMP/LMU Munich)

Todd Stambaugh (MCMP/LMU Munich; CUNY)

 

Contact: s.oreficini@staff.univpm.it

CfP: DEADLINE EXTENSION: The Soul of Economics – Conference (University of Zurich, September 9-11, 2019, Extended Deadline: June 30, 2019)

Submitted by Catherine Herfeld (University of Zurich).

EXTENSION OF DEADLINE until June 30 of the Call for Papers for the following conference:

THE SOUL OF ECONOMICS

Location: University of Zurich, Switzerland
Date: September 9-11, 2019
Website: https://soulofeconomics2019.weebly.com

List of confirmed invited speakers

  • Erik Angner (Stockholm University)
  • Alvin Birdi (University of Bristol)
  • Beatrice Cherrier (CNRS & THEMA, University of Cergy Pontoise)
  • Kevin Hoover (Duke University)
  • Shabnam Mousavi (Max Planck Institute for Human Development)
  • Andreas Ortmann (University of South Wales)
  • Don Ross (University of Cork)

(additional speakers to be confirmed)

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The occasion for this conference is the 10-year passing of the global financial crisis in 2007-08. The emphasis lies in particular on debates that have sparked or revived issues concerning the main constituents of the ‘soul of economics’ and have provoked new questions about the nature of this soul. More specifically, we focus mainly on questions that have been raised within but also outside the economics profession about some of the constituents of this soul, namely the discipline’s theoretical foundations, the desirability of old and new modeling tools, the role of empirical analysis in economics, and the usefulness of research programs such as behavioral economics, among many others. We furthermore address questions the crisis has provoked concerning the lack of public trust in economics and how to regain it.

To enable a fruitful debate about those questions, the main goal of the conference is to provide a platform for economists, philosophers of economics, sociologists of economics, and historians of recent economics to push the examination that underlies this soul searching further. This will help us, in turn, to better understand where economics is headed in the near future. We attribute the major issues under discussion to the following three areas within which there is ongoing disagreement among economists: 1) the debate in macroeconomics about the usefulness of DSGE models and the demand for microfoundations; 2) the discussion of the status and usefulness of behavioral economics and how it theoretically and conceptually differs from neoclassical economics; and, 3) the debate about the role of methodological consensus to regain public trust in economic expertise (for more specified questions we will address in each area, see conference website).

While we are also interested in papers that are concerned with other issues related to the conference topic, we are especially keen on receiving papers that address any of these issues. For each area, keynote speakers will discuss issues arising in those areas from an economic, a philosophical, and a historical perspective. We therefore welcome papers using systematic and conceptual approaches, case study analysis and historical approaches more generally, as well as sociological approaches.

Dates and deadlines
We invite submissions of contributed papers. Submissions should contain a title, a short abstract of 100 words (copied in the body of the email), and an extended abstract of up to 500 words. The abstracts should be prepared for blind review and submitted via the Easychair system the latest by June 30, 2019. Authors will be notified shortly thereafter.

Organising Committee
Catherine Herfeld (University of Zurich)
Chiara Lisciandra (University of Groningen)
Carlo Martini (University of Helsinki)
Charles Djordjevic (University of Zurich)

Contact
Please contact us at soulofeconomics@gmail.com, if you have any questions.

CfR: Philosophical Perspectives on Ecological Niches (University of Münster, July 15-16, 2019)

Submitted by Rosa Trappes (University of Bielefeld).

 

Workshop: Philosophical perspectives on ecological niches

15-16 July 2019, University of Münster

The ecological niche is a key conceptual tool for capturing the intricate interactions between an organism and its environment. Within ecology, the niche is generally taken to comprise any environmental factors that determine the establishment or survival of a population. More recently, evolutionary biologists have argued that the way organisms construct their niches is an important evolutionary process. Finally, a number of ecologists, evolutionary biologists and behavioral biologists have argued that individuals may have niches that are subsets of the population niche.

The niche concept cries out for philosophical attention. Questions abound about the ontological status of niches, the way the niche concept is tied up with concepts of fitness and function, the implications of niche individualization, and much more. This workshop will open up a space for much needed philosophical attention to ecological niches and stimulate discussions of its implications for other areas in philosophy of biology and philosophy more generally.

This workshop is part of the DFG-funded Collaborative Research Centre “A Novel Synthesis of Individualisation across Behaviour, Ecology and Evolution: Niche Choice, Niche Conformance, Niche Construction (NC³)”.

External Speakers

Antoine C. Dussault (Collège Lionel-Groulx/Université du Québec à Montréal)

Alkistis Elliott-Graves (University of Helsinki)

Holger Schielzeth (University of Jena)

Alan C. Love (University of Minnesota)

James Justus (Florida State University)

Student bursaries

We offer a limited number of travel grants (up to 250 EUR for travel and accommodation) for students and PhD students. To apply, please include a brief letter of motivation and your CV with your registration.

Registration and further information

For more information, the full programme, and details on how to register, check the website.

Organisers

Prof. Ulrich Krohs (University of Münster)
Behzad Nematipour (University of Münster)
Prof. Marie I. Kaiser (Bielefeld University)
Rose Trappes (Bielefeld University)

CfP: GAP Doktorandenworkshop Mathematische Philosophie 2019 (LMU München, 11.-12. Oktober 2019, Deadline: 25. Juli, 2019)

Submitted by Stephan Hartmann (MCMP, LMU Munich).

 

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Call for Papers 

GAP Doktorandenworkshop Mathematische Philosophie 2019

MCMP, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München

11.-12. Oktober 2019
https://tinyurl.com/gapdoktorandenworkshop2019
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Der Workshop richtet sich an DoktorandInnen im Fach Philosophie aus Deutschland, Österreich oder der Schweiz, die sich mit Fragen und Problemen der Mathematischen Philosophie beschäftigen. Dazu zählt neben der Logik, der Formalen Erkenntnistheorie und der Formalen Wissenschaftsphilosophie auch die Formale Praktische Philosophie (Ethik, Politische Philosophie) sowie mathematisch behandelbare Fragen aus anderen Bereichen der Philosophie wie z.B. der Metaphysik, der Sprachphilosophie und der Philosophie der Mathematik. Dabei sollten spannende philosophische Fragen und Probleme im Vordergrund stehen, die mit Hilfe mathematischen Methoden (z.B. Logik, Wahrscheinlichkeitstheorie, Modellbildung und Simulation) geklärt bzw. gelöst werden können. Der Workshop bietet den TeilnehmerInnen die Möglichkeit, sich über ihre Erkenntnisse und Resultate auszutauschen und sich zu vernetzen. Neben 20 bis 25-minütigen Vorträgen und anschließender Diskussion stehen individuelle Feedbackgespräche mit jeweils zwei Organisatoren auf dem Programm.

Organisatoren

In Zusammenarbeit mit Gesellschaft für Analytische Philosophie (GAP).

Bewerbungen

Da die Teilnehmerzahl begrenzt werden muss, wird es ein Auswahlverfahren geben. Dazu werden interessierte DoktorandInnen aus Deutschland, Österreich oder der Schweiz gebeten, die folgenden Bewerbungsunterlagen in einem PDF-Dokument über das online Bewerbungsportal einzureichen:

  1. Kurzes Motivationsschreiben (ca. 300 Worte)
  2. Lebenslauf (maximal 2 Seiten)
  3. Projektskizze (ca. 2000 Worte)
  4. Vortragstitel und Abstract (ca. 100 Worte) – werden gesondert abgefragt.

Der Bewerbungsschluss ist der 25. Juli 2019.

Da Englisch die Standardsprache der Mathematischen Philosophie ist, wird allen Interessierten nahegelegt, die Bewerbung vollständig auf Englisch einzureichen und die Präsentation ebenfalls auf Englisch zu geben. Selbstverständlich werden aber auch Bewerbungen auf Deutsch akzeptiert.

Kosten

Die Teilnahmegebühr beträgt 50 Euro. Für TeilnehmerInnen, die auf kein Stipendium und keine Mittel ihrer Heimatuniversität zurückgreifen können, wird die GAP versuchen, die Tagungsgebühr und die anfallenden Reisekosten (Bahnfahrt 2. Klasse) bis zu einem Betrag von 150 Euro zu übernehmen. Die Buchung und Bezahlung der Unterkunft wird von den Organisatoren übernommen.