Workshop Date: 27.03. – 28.03.2025
Location: University of Wupppertal
Bergische Universität Wuppertal
Glanzstoffhaus, 6th Floor
Kasinostraße 19 – 21
42103 Wuppertal, Germany
| Schedule | 27.03.2025 |
| 8:45 – 09:00 | Arrival & Registration |
| 09:00 –10:00 | Paul Hoynigen-Huene: “Kuhn and Feyerabend on Pluralism and Progress” |
| 10:00 – 10:30 | Coffee Break |
| 10:30 – 11:00 | Oscar Westerblad: “Pluralism about Progress in a Social Framework” |
| 11:00 – 11:30 | Philipp Haueis: “Pluralism and Conceptual Progress. A Normative Perspective” |
| 11:30 – 12:00 | Anastasiia Lazutkina: “What Counts as Evidence? Progress, Pluralism, and the Challenge of Cosmology” |
| 12:00 – 13:30 | Lunch Break |
| 13:30 – 14:00 | Emma Braccini, Filippo Murabito: “Embracing Diversity and Value Pluralism in Addressing Climate and Environmental Challenges” |
| 14:00 – 14:30 | Sapna Kumar: “Navigating Cultural Diversity in Scientific Pluralism: Towards a Plurality of Knowledge Systems” |
| 14:30 – 15:00 | Melinda Bonnie Fagan: “Radical Pluralism about explanation. Unity of Science through Diversity” |
| 15:00 – 15:30 | Coffee Break |
| 15:30 – 16:30 | Inkeri Koskinen: “Institutional instruments for increasing diversity in science: Do they actually work?” |
| Schedule | 28.03.2025 |
| 09:30 – 09:45 | Arrival & Registration |
| 09:45 – 10:45 | David Ludwig “The Future of Scientific Pluralism. Diversity Management or Equitable Science?” |
| 10:45 – 11:15 | Coffee Break |
| 11:15 – 11:45 | Matteo Vagelli: “Styles of Reasoning in Biomedical Research. Alzheimer’s Disease as a Test Case for Scientific Pluralism” |
| 11:45 – 12:15 | Charlotte Poller: “The Limits of Pluralism in Psychological Well–Being Research” |
| 12:15 – 13:45 | Lunch break |
| 13:45 – 14:15 | Jeremias Düring: “Interactive Pluralism and the Case of Ecological Economics” |
| 14:15 – 14:45 | Teemu Lari: “Epistemic Goals, Division of Labor, and Pluralism in Economics” |
| 14:45 – 14:45 | Appetizers and Departure |
Please find here the abstracts: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1-ZyoLWcJOE4Ph6arb1DsiL25ew-1WYQU.
About the Workshop
The idea that science should converge on a single, ultimate truth has become contested as the dominant view in the academic world; scientific pluralism has gained wide acceptance. However, these discussions have become so rich and entangled that now we can speak of a confusing “plurality of [scientific] pluralisms” (Wylie 2015). The overall goal of this workshop is to examine and clarify different ideas of scientific pluralism.
While proponents of scientific pluralism argue that pluralism offers a range of epistemic benefits which are conducive to scientific progress (Chang, 2012, 2022), pluralism not only comes with benefits but also with costs (e.g., Lari and Mäki 2024). This raises the question of the conditions under which pluralism contributes to scientific progress and those under which it may impede it. In addition to its role in promoting progress, the relationship between pluralism and the social and institutional organisation of science is also a subject of growing debate. Given that science is significantly shaped by social values (Longino 1990), scientific pluralism is increasingly discussed in the context of social and epistemic diversity as a crucial element for objective and inclusive knowledge production. One of the primary subjects to be addressed is that of how diverse research groups can fruitfully collaborate in order to foster scientific progress, and what part institutions play in this process.
The workshop investigates the complex relationship between scientific pluralism, epistemic diversity and scientific progress, both theoretically and through the examination of case studies. The overall goal is to discuss whether pluralism hinders or contributes to progress, and to explore the roles of institutional and social structures in this dynamic.
Workshop Themes and Questions:
- Pluralism and Scientific Progress:
- Under what specific conditions does pluralism contribute to scientific progress, and in what contexts might it impede progress?
- How do different forms of pluralism (such as methodological, theoretical, and epistemic) affect the course of scientific progress across various disciplines?
- What kind of progress are we talking about in relation to scientific pluralism?
- What kind of progress are we talking about in relation to scientific pluralism?
- Epistemic Diversity:
- What is the link between epistemic and social diversity and (value) pluralism?
- How does epistemic diversity within research teams and scientific communities influence the generation of knowledge?
- What are the benefits and challenges of fostering epistemic diversity in scientific research, particularly in the social sciences?
- Social Organization and Institutional Structures:
- What roles do social organization and institutional structures play in fostering or hindering pluralism and epistemic diversity in scientific research?
- What institutional measures can be implemented to overcome barriers and promote a more inclusive and cooperative scientific environment?
- Case Studies:
- Which scientific fields, e.g. in the social sciences, are particularly interesting for investigating the relationship between pluralism, epistemic diversity, and progress? What lessons can be learned from historical and current examples of pluralistic approaches in the various scientific fields?
- What lessons can be learned from historical and current examples where plurality seems to be lacking?
Organizing Committee:
- Jeremias Düring, University of Wuppertal
- Anastasiia Lazutkina, University of Wuppertal
- Charlotte Constanze Poller, University of Wuppertal
Keynote Speakers:
- Paul Hoyningen-Huene (Leibniz University Hanover)
- Inkeri Koskinen (University of Helsinki)
- David Ludwig (Wageningen University & Research)
Download this flyer for more practical information or feel free contact us at pluralism.workshop@uni-wuppertal.de.
This workshop is generously supported by the German Society for Analytic Philosophy (GAP).
