New Waves in Hinge Epistemology: Insights into Social Epistemology, Ethics, and Beyond

In recent years, a new idea has taken root in contemporary epistemological theorising that proposes a shift of attention from singular beliefs of individual agents to maintenance practices of entire belief systems. This new perspective, going back to Ludwig Wittgenstein’s late work, takes its moves from the key assumption that our belief systems are ultimately supported by sets of unquestioned pre-theoretical assumptions, which function as the hinges of our systems of thought. Hinge Epistemology, as the area of research sprouting from this basic model has come to be known, has taken a more applied and interdisciplinary turn in recent years. Drawing on cognitive scientific theories, hinges have been compared to procedural knowledge, drawing on feminist theory and social science, they have been compared with prejudices. Additionally, hinge epistemologists have engaged with the Moorean concept of common knowledge.

Relevant questions include but are not limited to: 

• How do hinges relate to non-standard, non-JTB, kinds of knowledge?

• What role do hinges play for political disagreement?

• How can hinges be applied in cognitive scientific models?

• What role do hinges play in pedagogical contexts?

• What is the ethics of hinge epistemology?

Keynotes:

Natalie Alana Ashton (VU Amsterdam)

Annalisa Coliva (UC Irvine)

Duncan Pritchard (UC Irvine)

Format:

This two-day workshop will consist of 3 Keynote lectures and potentially 7 additional 30-minute lectures. The focus will be on the face-to-face meetings and we ask speakers to present in person, but for the audience there will be room for online participation.

Abstracts:
Please anonymously prepare your abstract with a title (max 300 words, excluding title).

Send the abstract by email with the subject line “Abstract Hinge Epistemology” to [email protected] and your full name and affiliation (if any) in the email no later than *June 9* We will send out notice of accepted abstracts no later than June 19, 2024. We especially encourage early career and people from underrepresented groups to apply.

Organizers:
Martin Miragoli, Andrew Sherrod, Jakob Ohlhorst

About: 

The workshop is funded by SPA, SAP, Mind, COGITO and University of Glasgow