Science, Values, and Society

We invite graduate students and postgraduates to submit papers to this year’s philosophy graduate and postgraduate conference taking place on May 5-7, 2023, at the University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.

Dr. Alison Wylie will be presenting Friday, May 5th, at 4pm in Tory BW-1. Dr. Ingo Brigandt will be presenting May 6, 4pm in ASH 2-02A. 

The topic of the 2023 PGSG Conference is the relationship between science, values, and society, broadly construed. The aims of the conference include, 

● elaborating on and criticizing the relationship between science and values, and how this relationship informs the communication of scientific results to the public, 

● understanding how we think about and value scientific research, 

● investigating the theoretical bases for our treatment of scientific research, 

● investigating concerns of various stakeholders affected by science and technology, and 

● recognizing the practical consequences of diverse ways of thinking about these scientific issues. 

Some of the questions to be addressed include, but are not limited to: Can science be practiced in a value-free manner, or is scientific practice always informed by implicit values? To what extent is animal life morally considerable? Is vaccine hesitancy epistemically justifiable? Are social media and artificial intelligence good or bad for society? These issues and questions are especially relevant given recent concerns about the impact of human beings on the environment (including animal life), current issues concerning vaccination hesitancy, disinformation promulgated on social media, and ethical issues concerning artificial intelligence. We will consider historical, scientific, intersectional, phenomenological, and ethical perspectives, among others. 

To ensure a rewarding discussion, we strongly encourage submissions from all areas of philosophy and related disciplines. We especially encourage submissions from groups underrepresented in the profession. 

Submission Guidelines: Submissions are to be received no later than March 15, 2023. Papers should not exceed 3000 words. They should be prepared for anonymous review, include a bibliography, and be attached as a PDF to [email protected]. In a separate PDF, please include your name, academic affiliation, e-mail address, paper title, and an abstract of no more than 150 words. For more information, please contact us at [email protected].