CFP: Mathematising Science: Limits and Perspectives

An increasing amount of recent work in philosophy of science and mathematics is focusing on scientific practice, its internal structure and problems. This has given rise to new philosophical debates that differ in some substantial respects from more traditional ones and that have so far received comparatively little attention. These debates focus on topics such as the role of concrete representations in applied mathematics, the loss of empirical content associated with the use of abstract models of empirical systems, and the possibility of multiple, inconsistent formal descriptions of empirical data.

The objective of this conference is to provide a venue for the discussion of novel approaches to these and similar problems related to the use of formal methods in the sciences. In particular, we welcome contributions that engage with these issues in the context of linguistics, biology, cognitive science, and economics.

We encourage submissions, especially from young scholars and graduate students, on the main themes of the conference. These may include (but are not limited to) the following topics:

• Contributions of mathematical models to scientific explanation
• The role of representational formats in the development of scientific theories
• The epistemic and theoretical virtues of mathematical models used in science (e.g. symmetry, simplicity, unity)
• The role of idealisation and abstraction in scientific practice and scientific theorising
• Case studies that challenge or reinforce traditional accounts of the application of mathematics in science
• The limitations of mathematical methods
• The status of formal notions like recursivity and compositionality in linguistics
• The scope and limitations of model-theoretical approaches in philosophy of science

SUBMISSION INFORMATION

Authors are invited to submit an abstract of 100 words and an extended abstract of 1000 words. To submit, please prepare your abstracts for blind review, and save your extended abstract as a PDF file.

For submissions, go to easychair at the following web address abstract submission. When logged in, go to the 'new submission' page. Include your 100 words abstract and upload the PDF file of your extended abstract.

Deadline for submissions is March 15th, and the date for notifications is March 31st.

Please feel free to contact the organisers with any questions you may have at [email protected]

The allocated time for delivering contributed papers at the conference will be 30 minutes, followed by a 15 minutes discussion session.