CFP: Science, etc: Explanation, Technology, and Communication

The philosophy department at the University of Washington, Seattle is proud to announce a graduate conference titled Science, etc.: Explanation, Technology, and Communication to be held on the UW: Seattle campus on October 19th and 20th, 2023 (date may be subject to change). We have organized this conference with the goal of platforming advanced philosophical inquiry into various dimensions of science, including scientific explanation, values in science, and technological innovation. We are enthusiastic to share that Heather Douglas (Michigan State University) will be joining us in Seattle as our keynote speaker. Professor Douglas is known for her field-defining work in values in science. In particular, she has made major contributions to the project of better understanding science and technology ethics, science advising, politicization of science, and the concept of objectivity. She is currently working on reformulating the social contract for science, particularly for the aims of responsible science, and for protecting science from problematic uses of political power.

While we encourage abstracts relevant to Professor Douglas’s ongoing research, we welcome submissions in philosophy of science, broadly construed. Abstracts should be prepared for blind review by including a detachable cover page with the paper’s title, author’s name, mailing address, email, phone number, institutional affiliation, and word count. Please omit any self-identifying remarks within the body of the abstract. Abstracts should be between 250-500 words in length.

Abstracts should be received by Wednesday, May 31st and should be emailed to [email protected].  The format of this conference is pre-read, so abstracts should be suitable for development into a paper befitting a 25-minute presentation. Due to the conference’s pre-read format, the presentation itself should focus on the core ideas of the paper without presenting it in its entirety. Acceptances will be announced in July. Full papers are expected two weeks before the conference, to be circulated to attendees.