Medical Knowledge in a Social World

Invited Speakers: Otavio Bueno, Nancy Cartwright, Barbara Osimani, Jacob Stegenga

Conference Abstract: In contrast to an epistemological focus on an isolated knower confronting a fixed set of evidence, social epistemology attempts to make room both for the social practices that promote knowledge and those that obscure it.  The broader purview offered by social epistemology opens up opportunities for philosophers interested in medical knowledge to discuss topics such as the role of consensus conferences, continuing medical education, and industry funding.  It promises to be an exciting avenue of philosophic inquiry and one that is rapidly taking shape; above all, this workshop is intended to bring together those working at this intersection in order to share our projects, learn from each other, and build a community of scholarship. Travel assistance is available for early career scholars.

Possible topics include, but are by no means limited to:

v  Expert disagreement

v  Pragmatic ends and medical knowledge

v  The epistemic picture that emerges from social epistemology and its relation to Evidence-Based Medicine

v  Agnotology and medicine

v  3rd parties (FDA, medical journals, etc.) and knowledge dissemination

v  Role of the patient in medical epistemology

v  The influence of funding sources on medical knowledge

v  Formal models (e.g. network epistemology) and the assessment of alternative knowledge practices (e.g. distribution of funding, policy recommendations for conflicts of interest, etc.)

v  Medical knowledge as group knowledge

Abstract Submission:

Please submit abstracts to easychair by January 20th, 2016.  Abstracts should be no longer than 500 words.  Preference will be given to submissions that make significant contact with current medical practice and/or that draw from relevant case studies.  Notification of acceptances will be sent by January 27th.  The very best submissions will be invited to submit a paper length version of the talk by July 31st to appear in a special issue of Synthese