Scientific Progress and the Future of Science

The Philosophy of Contemporary and Future Science research group at Lingnan University (https://www.pocfs.org/home), Hong Kong, is organising a conference on the topic of 'Scientific Progress and the Future of Science'.

Science is often distinguished from other domains of human culture by its uniquely progressive nature. However, while it is broadly accepted that science does progress, exactly what constitutes scientific progress remains a subject of philosophical debate.

Historically, the Enlightenment championed a purely cumulative view of scientific knowledge. This was later challenged in the latter 20th century by accounts of scientific revolutions, paradigm shifts, incommensurability and so on. Today, the landscape is largely dominated by competing theories of first-order cognitive progress. These range from epistemic and semantic views to functionalist and noetic accounts. Deeper meta-normative questions have also been raised about whether science possesses objective aims at all.

As we look to the future of science, given its large impact on society, understanding the underlying nature of scientific progress, its normative basis, how to measure it etc. are more critical than ever. This conference seeks to bring together philosophers of science, practicing scientists and other interested parties to explore the conceptual foundations of scientific progress and how these frameworks inform the current state and future trajectory of scientific inquiry.

Conference Themes:

• The Nature of Scientific Progress
• Meta-Normativity and the Aims of Science
• Measuring and Indicating Scientific Progress
• Scientific Change and Future Trajectories

Call for papers now open: https://www.pocfs.org/events/spfs-2026

For questions or further inquiries, please contact Patric Harting at [email protected].