Explanation, Narrative, and Understanding in the Social Sciences

June 25, 2025 - June 27, 2025
HKUST

HKUST
Hong Kong
Hong Kong

View the Call For Papers

Sponsor(s):

  • The Asian Philosophy of Science Association

Speakers:

Isaac Ariail Reed
University of Virginia
University of California, Santa Cruz

Organisers:

Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

Topic areas

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Details

Explanation has been one of the central issues in the philosophy of science. Recently it has been an increasing interest in narrative and understanding. The significance of narrative in scientific practice was re-assessed, while the nature of scientific understanding has been extensively examined. Still, to a great extent, recent discussions on explanation, narrative, and understanding are framed in the context of the natural sciences, despite that they all play important roles in social science research. This conference aims to examine the notions of explanation, narrative, and understanding in social science by bringing together philosophers and social scientists.The questions to be addressed include but are not limited to:

  • What is understanding in the social sciences?
  • Can the main accounts of scientific understanding be fruitfully applied to the social sciences?
  • What role does narrative play in the social sciences?
  • What is the relation of explanation, narrative, and understanding in the social sciences? 

Organizing committee

  • Keith Chan
  • Fons Dewulf
  • Giulio Ongaro
  • Yafeng Shan (chair)
  • Qinyi Wang

Keynote Speakers

  • Isaac Ariail Reed (University of Virginia)
  • Paul. A. Roth (University of California, Santa Cruz)

Venue

The conference will be held in the Academic Building, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

Funders
School of Humanities and Social Science, HKUST
The Asian Philosophy of Science Association

Contact

All questions about submissions should be emailed to Qinyi Wang (qwangdi@connect.ust.hk).

For more information, see https://www.shanyafeng.com/explanation-narrative-and-explanation-in-the-social-sciences-conference-hk-2025.html.

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June 11, 2025, 12:00pm HKT

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