The Social and Political Context of Science

Parallax, 2008

Philosophy of science is showing an increasing interest in the social aspects and the social organisation of science—the ways social values and social interactions and structures play a role in the creation of knowledge and the ways this role should be taken into account in the organisation of science and science policy. My thesis explores a number of issues related to this theme. I argue that a prominent approach to the social organisation of science—Philip Kitcher’s well-ordered science—runs into a number of problems. They undermine its philosophical plausibility and practical usefulness. I agree with Kitcher that arguments about the social organisation of science should recognise profound societal consequences of science. Kitcher argues that the appropriate organisation of science should therefore take into account laypersons’ values and needs when making decisions concerning research planning, evaluation and application. My criticisms show that this is not enough. Drawing on Helen Longino ideas, I argue that laypersons’ perspectives and knowledge may also be relevant when doing research. In order to show how more inclusive research practices may be possible, I discuss connections between philosophy of science and some developments in science policy, which has also recently shown considerable interest in democratic participation. I demonstrate how public participation experiments in science policy may sometimes be close enough to what the philosopher would recommend. Their analysis can thus be helpful for understanding how societal developments may provide opportunities for the involvement of laypersons in science and what factors may endanger its success. I conclude that a way to pursue a more socially relevant philosophy of science is to focus on the points of contact and possibilities of cooperation between philosophical proposals and these public participation initiatives.

Science Communication Today. Current Strategies and Means of Action , 2015

Despite their relative semantic proximity, the fields of public understanding of science (PUS) and social studies of science (SSS) / science and technology studies or science, technology and society (both STS) 1 appear to acknowledge their origins in different traditions, types of practice and trajectories. My purpose in this paper is to examine recent developments in both fields, observing the way they have been shaped in varying contexts and attempting to establish the extent to which they are converging towards a unified space of theory and practice, or whether each one operates relatively independently from the other. With this in mind, I provide a brief summary of the emergence of these fields in Europe, the United States and Latin America in order to identify the modulations characteristic of each context. I then go on to discuss the role played by PUS studies at two types

Rivista Italiana di Politiche Pubbliche, 2004

Poiesis & Praxis, 2010

This essay examines five ideal–typical conceptions of politics in science and technology studies. Rather than evaluating these conceptions with reference to a single standard, the essay shows how different conceptions of politics serve distinct purposes: normative critique, two approaches to empirical description, and two views of democracy. I discuss each conception of politics with respect to how well it fulfills its apparent primary purpose, as well as its implications for the purpose of studying a key issue in contemporary democratic societies: the politicization of science. In this respect, the essay goes beyond classifying different conceptions of politics and also recommends the fifth conception as especially conducive to understanding and shaping the processes whereby science becomes a site or object of political activity. The essay also employs several analytical distinctions to help clarify the differences among conceptions of politics: between science as ‘political’ (adjective) and science as a site of ‘politics’ (noun), between spatial-conceptions and activity-conceptions of politics, between latent conflicts and actual conflicts, and between politics and power. The essay also makes the methodological argument that the politics of science and technology is best studied with concepts and methods that facilitate dialogue between actors and analysts. The main goal, however, is not to defend a particular view of politics, but to promote conversation on the conceptions of politics that animate research in social studies of science and technology.

1993

Logical positivism and empiricism embody the scientific spirit that puts science autonomous from culture and society. This can be questioned from a cultural perspective, which accommodates the various contexts of human knowledge. In this perspective, science as a system of human knowledge is deeply rooted and colored by the socio-cultural context. Key Words: Knowledge Science Culture Religion Tradition Metaphysics Society Cultural epistemology Relativism Reflexivity. Science as a Socio-cultural Problem cience is often discussed in a strict separation from culture and Ssoci ety. Logical positivism and empiricism have put the scientific world as an autonomous domain in a way that it may become sterilized from any socio-cultural influence. This seems to have been achieved through an elimination of the 'metaphysical' dimensions of science. This brings serious consequences. Firstly, this tendency has created a hegemony of science; 2 science determines terms of reference...