The Present Plight of Science, and Our Plight

Janet A. Kourany
University of Notre Dame

We need the help of the sciences now more than ever, what with the coronavirus pandemic, the economic downturn, global warming, racial unrest, the threat of cyberattacks, and at least a hundred other problems.  And yet, the sciences these days are suffering from their own set of problems, and have even contributed in significant measure to many of the problems that now beset us.  Are the sciences, therefore, up to the job we need done right now, or can they be helped to be up to that job, and if so, how?  These are serious issues that a socially relevant science studies should take up.  What might be philosophy of science’s role in that endeavor?  This will be my topic.       

Date: 09. December

Time:17h00-19h00

Plattform: Moodle Collaborate

Access: https://eu.bbcollab.com/guest/c8cdeaacf66140a5994605d5fff5cf25

Abstract

Janet Kourany is associate professor of philosophy and concurrent associate professor of gender studies at the University of Notre Dame, where she is also a fellow of the John J. Reilly Center for Science, Technology, and Values. Her research interests include philosophy of science, science and values, feminist ­philosophy, and the new interdisciplinary area of ignorance studies. Her latest book, Science and the Production of Ignorance: When the Quest for Knowledge Is Thwarted, is co-edited with Martin Carrier (MIT, 2020).