Submissions

Objectivity in the Sciences

Call for Papers

We invite submissions for an upcoming special issue of Lato Sensu on "Objectivity in the Sciences." For a long time, the notion of objectivity was regarded as the essence of a proper scientific method: the scientists were expected to leave their ‘subjective’ beliefs at the door and handle evidences in an ‘objective’ manner. The recognition of the collective dimension of science, of the impact of community interests or biases on scientific inquiry, the ever-growing role of technologies in data production (instruments, artificial intelligence), and the importance attached to expert judgement have profoundly altered the perception of the ‘scientific subject’ and their purported neutrality. Objectivity is therefore called into question as a cardinal value of epistemology. Yet, it retains a central place in the sciences.

We expect contributions to explore these different avenues: by analyzing the concept of ‘Objectivity’ as it is put to use in the special sciences; by clarifying its place within general epistemology; by exploring the philosophical foundations, practical applications, and ethical consequences of objectivity within different scientific disciplines. Submissions may also address but are not limited to: historical perspectives on objectivity, challenges to the notion of objectivity in contemporary science, the role of values in scientific objectivity, and strategies to foster the emergence of more robust forms of ‘objectivity’ in research practices.

Some possible themes:

1. The nature of objectivity and its philosophical underpinnings.

2. Epistemic challenges to achieving objectivity in scientific inquiry.

3. The influence of social, cultural, and political factors on scientific objectivity; and ethical considerations in balancing objectivity with societal values and interests.

4. The role of instruments, measurement, quantification, and experimentation in enhancing objectivity.

5. Critics (e.g. from a feminist perspective) of objectivity.

6. Practical strategies for mitigating bias and enhancing objectivity in scientific research.

7. Objectivity and Artificial Intelligence.

We welcome interdisciplinary perspectives and encourage submissions from philosophers, scientists, and scholars from related fields.

Deadline for submissions: December 31, 2024.

Please visit journal website for submission guidelines.

This CFP follows the first SPS summer school which was held in September 2023 in Saint-Raphaël, France. However, this special issue is open to all contributions on the topic.

Editors of the special issue

Antoine Brandelet (Mons University, Belgium)

Kevin Chalas (UCLouvain, Belgium)

Mathilde Escudero (ENS-PSL, France)

Thierry Hoquet (Paris Nanterre University, France)

Special issue: “Ignorances in the Sciences”

In this special issue, we propose to take an epistemological stance at the ways in which ignorance is present in the sciences. It seems to play many roles. It is a social and political construct of the scientific enterprise, a heuristic and driving force in scientific discovery, while possessing an epistemological and conceptual status that distinguishes it from a simple lack of knowledge. This observation of pluralism leads us to question the ignorances in the sciences. We are looking for proposals that explore both a general epistemological framework for ignorance and its epistemological (and even ethical) implications in special sciences. Contributions in the following topics are particularly welcome:

• Definitions and conceptualisations of scientific ignorance
• Representations of ignorances in the sciences
• Evolutions of ignorances in the sciences
• Epistemic roles and influences of ignorances in the sciences
• Strategies for circumventing or accommodating ignorances in the sciences

This call for papers is in the wake of the “ignorances in the sciences” international workshop that was held in Lyon in March 2024. It is however open to anyone and not limited to the participants of the workshop. Interdisciplinary perspectives with an epistemological scope are welcome, whether they come from philosophers, scientists or disciplines linked to the theme of ignorances in the sciences as set out above.

Submission deadline : 31/01/2025

Editors of the special issue: 

Lucie Boël (Université Jean Moulin Lyon 3)

Mathias Girel (ENS-PSL)

Éric Pardoux (ENS Lyon - CNRS)

Benjamin Spada (Université de Bordeaux)

Pierre de Tuoni (Université Grenoble Alpes)

Special issue: "Gender and Science"

Call for Papers:

We are pleased to announce a special issue of Lato Sensu focusing on “Gender & Science”, in the wake of the 2023 SPS Congress. Contributors do not need to have attended the congress to be allowed to submit a contribution. Those who did are strongly encouraged to submit one.

This issue aims to critically examine the intersection of gender and scientific practices, addressing both historically perpetrated inequalities and contemporary challenges in access to or practice of science. We invite contributions that explore the multifaceted relationship between gender and science, including but not limited to: the underrepresentation of women and all groups marginalized because of their sexual and/or gender identities in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) fields, gender biases in research methodologies and publication practices, the impact of gender stereotypes on scientific careers, and the role of feminist perspectives in reshaping scientific inquiry. Additionally, we welcome analyses of inclusive strategies and initiatives aimed at promoting gender equity in science.

Main issues at stake include:

1. New approaches to gender and science such as epistemic injustice.
2. Implicit biases and stereotypes affecting research outcomes and peer evaluation.
3. The role of gender in shaping research agendas and knowledge production.
4. Gender disparities in STEM participation and career advancement.
5. Gendered experiences of discrimination and harassment in scientific environments.
6. Intersectional approaches to understanding the complexities of gender in science.
7. Policy implications for fostering diversity and inclusion in scientific institutions.
8. Ethical considerations in addressing gender-related challenges and promoting equity in scientific practices.

We encourage submissions (in French or in English) from historians and philosophers of science, social scientists, and scientists who are engaged in critical inquiries into gender and science.

Deadline for submissions: March 1, 2025

Please visit journal website for submission guidelines.

Guest editors:

Thierry Hoquet (Université Paris Nanterre)

Anne-Lise Rey (Université Paris Nanterre)

Julie Jebeile (Institut de Philosophie de l’Universität Bern et CNRM - CNRS)

Francesca Merlin (IHPST - CNRS/ Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne)

SI: "Epistemological and ethical implications of the covid-19 pandemic"

Special Issue "Vagueness in Sciences"

The objective of this special issue is to open the reflection on the notion of vagueness from the prism of philosophy of sciences, with the aim of questioning the meaning of this notion in different fields of scientific research. The call is open to all contributions (in English or French) on this theme. Here are some examples of possible questions (non-exhaustive list):

1. What does vagueness mean in different areas of research? Should we consider it as something multidimensional? Is it present in all areas? If so, in what ways? Does vagueness favour certain ontological and/or epistemological levels?
2. Is vagueness reducible to a simple epistemological problem? For example, is it reducible to our limited cognitive capacity? Or is it ontologically intrinsic to reality itself? Are only concepts vague or also natural processes/phenomena? Can these two perspectives be reconciled?
3. Does scientific progress inevitably imply a gradual reduction of vagueness? Are precise concepts always better than vague concepts? Can vagueness evolve over time?
4. Is vagueness always in opposition to our cognitive predisposition to simplification? In other words, do we have a cognitive aversion to vagueness?
5. Is vagueness always and only a limit? Or are there cases in which it can usefully supplement an explanation? Can this notion play an epistemic and/or heuristic role? For example, can it contribute positively to the generalization, longevity, resilience and fertility of an explanation?
6. Conceptually, and to delineate the concept of “vague” in English, what is the difference between “vagueness”, “haziness”, and “fuziness”?
7. What is the relationship between complexity and vagueness?

This call for papers follows the workshop “Vagueness in Sciences” held on 20 and 21 June 2022 in Paris 1.

The deadline for submissions is March 30, 2023. (closed)

Editors of the special issue:

Marco Casali (LabEx Who Am I? & IHPST, Paris 1 Panthéon Sorbonne)

Marie Michon (IHPST, Paris 1 Panthéon Sorbonne)

Charles Pence (Université catholique de Louvain)

Illustrative bibliography:

Egré P., (2018), Qu’est-ce que le vague ?, Librairie philosophique J. Vrin.

Neto C., (2020), When imprecision is a good thing, or how imprecise concepts facilitate integration in biology, Biology & Philosophy, 35(6), 1-21.

Hofmann B., (2021), Vagueness in Medicine: On Disciplinary Indistinctness, Fuzzy Phenomena, Vague Concepts, Uncertain Knowledge, and Fact-Value-Interaction, Axiomathes, 1-18.

Keil G., Keuck L., & Hauswald R., (Eds.). (2017). Vagueness in psychiatry. Oxford University Press.

Seising R., (2008), On the absence of strict boundaries—Vagueness, haziness, and fuzziness in philosophy, science, and medicine, Applied soft computing, 8(3), 1232-1242.

Sorensen R., (2018), Vagueness, The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Edward N. Zalta (ed.).