Science, Democracy and Relativism: A presentation Haris Shekeris - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Science, Democracy and Relativism: A presentation Haris Shekeris

I. The thesis in 18 (+1) words Citizens should adopt communitarian epistemology as regards knowledge from the (natural) sciences as this would make societies more democratic

C’est tout? • Oui, nous pouvons aller boire un café maintenant 

Presentation Plan I.Preamble: Motivations and Implicit Methodology II.Elaboration of the argument III.A walk-through of the book IV.Underlying themes and susbsquent thoughts

I. Preamble: Motivations and Implicit Methodology

I.Preamble : Motivations • Cyprus vs Belgium • Formal and informal education (ie some personal history) • Cyprus vs England • Physics, Philosophy and “Sceptical Crisis”

I. Preamble : Implicit Methodology • Ex post facto reconstruction • Discipline-hopping, conventional (disciplinary) wisdom and dilettantism • Implications for philosophical practice?

II. Elaboration of the Argument

II. Elaboration of the argument – Argument Structure Schema Identification Appl Identification Appl Solu Defe Solu Defe of the icati of the icati tion nce tion nce problem on problem on

II. Elaboration of the Argument – Content (1 st Step) Identification of the problem Science is indispensable for policy-making in modern democratic societies however Who watches the watchmen?

II. Elaboration of the Argument – Content (1 st step cont’d) Identification of the problem Perceptions about science and science education at fault

II. Elaboration of the Argument – Content (2 nd step ) Proposed Solution Change Perceptions of Science and Science Education Science as argumentative conversation

II. Elaboration of the Argument – Content (2 nd step cont’d ) Proposed Solution Science as argumentative conversation Knowledge as Communitarian Knowledge as a property of social kind Epistemology communities

II. Elaboration of the Argument – Content (3 rd step) Defence of the proposed solution Communitarian Defence of meaning epistemology finitism, a key accurately semantic describes scientific component of knowledge communitarian production and of epistemology decision-making based on scientific knowledge

II. Elaboration of the argument – Content (4 th step) Application Sustainability science as an example of “communitarian science”

III.A walk-through of the book

Chapter I: Science and Democracy • Difficulties of defining “science” – science popularisers and the consensus among philosophers of science • Science in the 21 st century: – The role of science in modern settings – Science and the State (trans-scientific questions, ‘excess of objectivity’)

Chapter I (cont’d) • Three ideals of democracy: • popular sovereignty • political equality • right and duty to participation in open and fair discussion (Christiano) • Aggregative Vs deliberative Vs radical Vs egalitarian models of democracy • Christiano: equal consideration of interests – citizens as choosers of aims

Chapter I (concluded) Science and democracy: the science/policy interface • Scientists as part of the ruling elite • Breaking the dyad: virtuous “scientization” of politics (Habermas) • “Honest brokers of policy alternatives” (Pielke Jr.)

Chapter II: Lay Perceptions of Science and scientists Science is important in modern democracies (Chapter I) hence it should be public and transparent Is it in fact? Chapter If not, how is its aura of authority II constructed?

Chapter II cont’d • EU, US and UK survey data on understanding and attitudes towards science-scientists • Three kinds of deficit (Bauer et al.): knowledge, attitudes and trust • Unveiling the ‘deficit model’ at work – however surveys still useful

Chapter II (concluded) Shaping deficits and elitist conceptions of science • Waxing lyrical about science and scientists • “Cool” and “sexy” science • Opaqueness and inaccessibility of scientific knowledge production • Denying the possibility for criticism

Chapter III: Science, Education and Citizenship • Science cafés, citizens’ hearings and consensus conferences • John Dewey and radical education • Bedfellows or clash of Titans? (irrelevance, indifference, scepticism, powerlessness) • “Citizen thinking” (Jenkins)

Chapter III (cont’d) • A solution: argumentation as necessary motor of both science and citizenship (introducing communitarian epistemology) • Education without truth: the case of models – Gilbert and Boulter’s classification of mental, expressed, consensus, scientific, historical and teaching models

Chapter III (concluded) • The “Chemistry forum” and the “museum of chemistry” • An objection: Intellectual safety and science education • Answer: certitudes and science, certitudes and democratic citizenship

Appendix: Demonstrating and Myth-Making

Chapter IV: Communitarian epistemology and Science Knowledge as property of Commitments and communities thesis entitlements thesis • The primary epistemic • Knowledge and its subject is the community cognates (eg “knower”) designate a social status • As such, the attribution of this status comes with a nexus of commitments and entitlements

Chapter IV (cont’d) – the community thesis • Two contrary visions of an individual gaining knowledge • The intra-laboratory aspect and the public forum aspect • Misgivings of Cartesian-inspired epistemology, conflation of two projects • Plural subjects and belief as joint commitment

Chapter IV (concluded) – knowledge as a social kind thesis • Scientific controversies: mitosis, crystallization, consolidation • Decisions based on science and feedback loops – pressure on Collin’s account • Knowledge as commitments and entitlements: explaining the “distance lends enchantment” phenomenon and more

Chapter V: Meaning Finitism Defended • Necessity of meaning finitism for communitarian epistemology: knowledge of word meanings • Meaning finitism theses: » Open-endedness of future applications » Defeasibility of classifications » Revisability of classifications » (Non-) Independence of use » Entrenchment of different kind terms • Weak points: mother tongue acquisition, deaf people communication, the genetic problem

Chapter V (cont’d) However • We are meaning finitists in practice about things such • a) Halloumi Cheese (cow milk farmers’ interests and tourists tastes) • b) Mental illness terms (and the DSM) • c) protein classification (according to different databases)

Chapter V (concluded) • Language as means of communication between similar beings • Science, protagorean relativism and democracy (communities all the way down) • No place for democratic deliberation when there is an absolute definite answer

Chapter VI: An example of a “communitarian” scientific discipline • Sustainability science as explicitly problem- and goal-oriented, as well as value-driven • Local character of knowledge produced and importance of community • Challenges: » Effective communication » Truth and action (realism, pluralism, relativism) » Elites within projects

IV. Underlying themes and subsequent thoughts (we there yet?) (presque là)

Themes • Relativism – resistance towards talk of Universal Truth and Progress • Historicism – no simulation to reality • Faith in the masses and anti-elitism (this may include a soft anti-intellectualism) • Faith that life is simple, after all (this includes knowledge of all that’s important for a happy life)

Thoughts – Does the prevalence of scientism threaten democracy? – Is democracy epistemic? What is the exact relationship between knowledge and democracy? (this is before having read the French tradition) – Interests, experts, policy-makers and standards, knowledge gaps