International Conference: Rethinking the comparative evaluation of scientific theories
Laurent Rollet
My previous announcement contained a few mistakes. Please find here the
correct version.
Sincerely yours.
L. R.
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International Conference: Rethinking the comparative evaluation of
scientific theories: stabilities, ruptures, incommensurabilities?
Dates
June 2004, 24-26
Jeudi 24, vendredi 25 et samedi 26 juin 2004.
Aim of the conference / Objectif du colloque
The aim of the colloquium is: (a) to list and analyse the specific
difficulties that may arise concerning the task of comparing scientific
theories, and (b) to discuss the stakes of these difficulties for the
question of scientific progress, rationality and realism. The focus will =
be
essentially on the case of physics. Detailed studies of the history of
science will be undertaken in conjunction with philosophical and conceptu=
al
analyses.
Conference localization
Université de Nancy 2, 23 Bd Albert 1er, 54015 Nancy cedex, France.
For further details, see below /
Institutions organizing the conference/
Archives Henri Poincaré, Laboratoire de Philosophie et d’Histoire des
Sciences, (UMR 7117 du CNRS)
Center for Philosophy and Ethics of Science (University of de Hanover).
Conference languages
English and French (most of the papers will be in English).
THEMATIC PRESENTATION
The comparative evaluation of scientific theories is one of the central
tasks of working theoretical scientists. In the course of the 20th centur=
y,
it became an increasingly important problem for philosophers of science.
What is at stake is nothing less than the nature of scientific progress, =
and
the problems of relativism and scientific realism.
The 20th century saw the development of a number of new scientific theori=
es
with unexpected characteristics, which broke ontologically and
methodologically with earlier theories. This was most notably the case in
physics with the theories of relativity and, especially, quantum physics.
The result was a considerable enrichment of the range of theories and
inter-theoretic relations available for examination.
In part as a consequence of the perceived methodological and ontological
breaks between theories, a number of relativistic theses have arisen with=
in
the philosophy of science. On the one hand, the variation in the content =
of
scientific theories in the history of science leads to the denial of
scientific realism, and even of the progress of scientific knowledge. On =
the
other hand, given the variation of the norms of scientific method, it has
been denied that there may be rational grounds for the judgement that one
theory is objectively better than another. A number of different approach=
es
have been proposed in response to these radically sceptical theses: forms=
of
naturalism, revised conceptions of transcendentalism, new experimentalism=
…
These approaches lead to non-foundationalist and non-realist - or realist=
in
a shifted sense - accounts of scientific progress. The debate about these
issues continues to be very lively to this day.
The aim of the colloquium will be, in view of these attempts: (a) to list
and analyse the specific difficulties that may arise concerning the task =
of
comparing scientific theories, and (b) to discuss the stakes of these
difficulties for the question of scientific progress, rationality and
realism.
The focus will be essentially on the case of physics. Detailed studies of
the history of science will be undertaken in conjunction with philosophic=
al
and conceptual analyses.
Invited speakers (Click here to see the abstracts)
Aristides Baltas (Department of Applied Mathematical and Physical Science=
s,
National Technical University. Athens, Greece)
Anouk Barberousse (CNRS, Institut d'Histoire et de Philosophie des Scienc=
es
et des Techniques. Paris, France)
Alexander Bird (University of Bristol, Department of Philosophy. Bristol,
GB)
Martin Carrier (University of Bielefeld, Department of Philosophy, Instit=
ute
for Science and Technology Studies, Center for Interdisciplinary Studies.
Bielefeld, Germany)
Bernard D'Espagnat (Ancien Professeur honoraire de physique à l'Univers=
ité
d'Orsay, Membre de l'Institut. Paris, France)
Peter Galison (Harvard University, USA)
Rom Harré (Emeritus Fellow of Linacre College, Oxford, GB; Georgetown
University and American University in Washington DC)
Peter Hartmann (Department of Philosophy, Logic and Scientific Method,
London School of Economics and Political Science. London, GB)
Thomas Nickles (University of Nevada, Department of Philosophy. Reno, USA=
)
Andrew Pickering (University of Illinois, Department of Sociology, Urbana
Champaign, Illinois, USA)
Léna Soler (IUFM de Lorraine, Archives Henri Poincaré, IHPST. Nancy, =
France)
Friedrich Steinle (University of Stuttgart / Max Planck Institute for the
History of Science, Berlin. Berlin, Germany)
Peter Teller (San Francisco, USA)
Hervé Zwirn (CNRS, CMLA de l'ENS Cachan, membre associé de l'Institut
d'Histoire et de Philosophie des Sciences et des Techiques. Paris, France=
)
Invited commentators / Discutants invités
Michel Bitbol (Paris)
Gerhard Heinzmann (Nancy)
Paul Hoyningen-Huene (Hanover)
Igor Ly (Paris)
Soazig Le Bihan (Nancy)
Roger Pouivet (Nancy)
Laurent Rollet (Nancy)
Jean-Michel Salanskis (Paris)
Howard Sankey (Melbourne)
Emiliano Trizio (Paris)
Scott Walter (Nancy)
Marcel Weber (Hanover)
Conference fee
The conference registration fee will be 50 euros (15 euros for unemployed
and students; please send documentation of your status) until April 15,
2004; after April 16, 2004, 70 euros (20 euros for unemployed and student=
s).
Inscription : http://www.univ-nancy2.fr/ACERHP/colloques/recest/
Or contact Laurent Rollet : laurent...@ensgsi.inpl-nancy.fr
Other information requests :
http://www.univ-nancy2.fr/ACERHP/colloques/recest/
Or contact Léna Soler : l_s...@club-internet.fr
Messages to the list are archived at http://listserv.liv.ac.uk/archives/philos-l.html.
Prolonged discussions should be moved to chora: enrol via
http://listserv.liv.ac.uk/archives/chora.html.
Other philosophical resources on the Web can be found at http://www.liv.ac.uk/Philosophy/philos.html
Laurent Rollet
Last corrections
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THEMATIC PRESENTATION
Stephan Hartmann (Department of Philosophy, Logic and Scientific Method,
London School of Economics and Political Science. London, GB)
Thomas Nickles (University of Nevada, Department of Philosophy. Reno, USA=
)
Andrew Pickering (University of Illinois, Department of Sociology, Urbana
Champaign, Illinois, USA)
Léna Soler (IUFM de Lorraine, Archives Henri Poincaré, IHPST. Nancy, =
France)
Friedrich Steinle (University of Stuttgart / Max Planck Institute for the
History of Science, Berlin. Berlin, Germany)
Paul Teller (San Francisco, USA)