CfA: Science & Humanism, U. Miami, Nov. 6-7
PLEASE NOTE: A final decision on how best to hold this workshop – in person, online, or (likely) some combination of the two – will be made at a later date, when some of the current uncertainty has been resolved. Submissions from those interested in participating virtually are strongly encouraged.
Call for abstracts: deadline 15 June 2020
A commonly cited tenet of humanism, central to many descriptions of humanistic thought, is the idea that in order to understand the world and ourselves, and to act in pursuit of the common good, we must give special prominence to science and reason. The sciences are crucial if we are to probe the nature of reality and, thereby, to have the best possible technologies for feeding and sheltering people, for developing medical treatments and preventative measures, and for acting to address the harms being done to the planet. The sciences are thus an indispensable basis from which to shape our collective future. Beyond these abstract sentiments, however, more detailed and precise connections between science and humanism remain to be articulated. Scientific work does not, by itself, generate moral or social progress, and if it is to enhance our wellbeing, such articulations are necessary.
Explorations of the relationship between humanism and science are invited from scholars taking philosophical, historical, and sociological perspectives. This focus suggests a number of entry points, including (but not limited to):
- the viability of naturalism and the comparative status of scientific and other knowledge
- the capacity or potential of scientism for setting limits on humanist self-understanding
- the interplay between traditions or views of science and agendas of positive social change
- promoting the common good through directions of research and/or institutional structures
- managing the value-ladenness of science in ways that advance collective welfare
- enhancing the public understanding of science and combatting science denialism
- increasing the uptake of scientific knowledge in government, the law, and public policy
Abstract submission
Please submit, by Monday June 15th, a 400-600 word abstract (suitable for blind refereeing) to:
If you do not have an EasyChair profile, click ‘create an account’. After logging in, click ‘New Submission’. Enter your information and upload your abstract. You can revise your submission any number of times before the deadline.
Submissions will be acknowledged and decisions communicated to authors by Monday July 6th.
Travel, accommodation, registration, further information
Further information regarding free (but required, for space and catering arrangements) registration and other details will be posted in due course on the website of the Department of Philosophy at UM: https://philosophy.as.
Program committee
Elizabeth Cantalamessa, University of Miami
Anjan Chakravartty, University of Miami
Timothy D. Lyons, Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis
Gurpreet Rattan, University of Toronto