CFP: Learning From Empirical Approaches to HPS

April 6 – 7, 2018

Center for Philosophy of Science

817 Cathedral of Learning

University of Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh, PA USA 

In recent years, some historians and philosophers of science have taken an empirical turn in their own work, conducting surveys and interviews, embedding themselves in scientific research groups as both observers and participants, designing and conducting new experiments, replicating historically important experiments, and developing computational approaches to questions in the history & philosophy of science. This conference will provide an opportunity to critically engage with the newest methods and results while keeping traditional HPS questions firmly in sight. Applications of empirical methods to philosophical questions in domains such as values in science, science policy, and science communication are also welcome. General themes include but are not limited to: What does HPS learn from interviews and surveys? HPS observers in the lab: how is it different from social science? Which questions in the history and philosophy of science can be answered experimentally? What does the latest in machine learning imply about scientific discovery and hypothesis generation? What are the implications of metrics for meaning similarity for issues such as the incommensurability of theories? What can HPS learn from the science of science? 

Keynote Speakers: John Bickle, Nancy Nersessian, Paul Thagard 
Submission Deadline: December 18, 2017  Deadline extended to December 22, 2017, 8 AM EST.

Please submit an abstract of no more than 1500 words. Abstracts will be refereed blind and notifications will be sent mid-January, 2018. 

Abstract submission is electronic, and must be made through Easy Chair. 
Please go to: https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=leahps2017

Accomodations will be provided for speakers. We encourage early career scholars and individuals working on HPS topics in different disciplines to submit to this conference, and we particularly welcome submissions from members of underrepresented groups. To facilitate participation, we can offer a small number of travel subvention awards, to reimburse up to 250 USD of a presenter’s travel costs. When submitting your abstract, please indicate in the PDF if you are interested in being considered for a travel subvention award. Accepted presenters will receive additional instructions for consideration for an award. 

Further inquiries may be addressed to David Colaço ([email protected])