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1st JOINT VIENNA - STOCKHOLM WORKSHOP

Modeling the Possible

Vienna, 30 September 2020, 16:00 – 25 June 2021, 16:00 (via Zoom)

This workshop will consist of a set of twelve virtual meetings which occured between 30.09.2020 and 24.06.2021.

Organizing Comittee: Tarja Knuuttila (University of Vienna) Natalia Carrillo (University of Vienna) Till Grüne-Yanoff (KTH Stockholm) Ylwa Sjöling (KTH Stockholm)

The event is a co-organized effort between the Towards a Methodology of Modal Modeling project, funded by the Swedish Research Council (grant number 2018-01353) and the Possible Life: The philosophical significance of extending biology project, funded by the ERC (grant number 818772).

2nd JOINT STOCKHOLM - VIENNA WORKSHOP

Modal Modelling in Science: Modal Epistemology Meets Philosophy of Science

Stockholm, 27-28 May, 3-4 June, 2021 (via Zoom)

Scientists make modal claims, including claims of objective possibility. These possibility claims are often based on, or justified with reference to, the use of scientific models. But it is far from obvious that any scenario or system that can be modelled is objectively possible. Plausibly some constraints must be in place. But what are these, how are they justified, are they reliable trackers of modal truth? This raises questions of the kind treated by epistemologists of modality. Meanwhile, many contemporary epistemologists of modality are eager to stress that the basis for much of our modal knowledge is to be provided by science, and they strive to provide theories of modal justification that respect this fact. Yet, there has so far been very little interaction between philosophers of science who study modelling, and epistemologists of modality. This workshop aims to take a step towards remedying this by bringing together researchers from both fields.

Speakers

The event is a co-organized effort between the Towards a Methodology of Modal Modeling project, funded by the Swedish Research Council (grant number 2018-01353) and the Possible Life: The philosophical significance of extending biology project, funded by the ERC (grant number 818772).

PSA-INEM Symposium

Modality and How-Possibly Explanations in Economics

Baltimore, 11 November 2021

There is a growing interest concerning the modal features of modelling across the sciences, with economics being no exception. Economic modelling practices do not fit the procrustean bed of full how-actually explanations and the demanding criteria on models that come with it. Instead of dismissing these practices as epistemically inert, more effort must be invested in investigating the role they play in establishing modal claims and providing how-possibly explanations. However, we still have a limited understanding of how how-possibly explanations are formed and used in practice and of their relationship with how-actually explanations. We also lack methodological criteria that would help us to assess the epistemic and heuristic value of how-possibly explanations. This session aims to make three chief contributions. First, we show that the practice of establishing modal claims is well entrenched in the practice of economists, even those with an eye on policy. Second, we illuminate how how-possibly explanations relate to economic modelling practices and how they are used to acquire how-actually explanations of phenomena of interest. Third, we provide methodological resources to appraise how-possibly explanations in economics.

Speakers

PSA Symposium

Possibility Claims in Science: Modal Epistemology Meets Philosophy of Science

Baltimore, 11 November 2021

In this symposium, we describe and analyze scientific practices involving possibility claims, from synthetic and evolutionary biology, climate science, and economics. These practices pose challenges to philosophy of science, including questions about the justification of possibility claims, the representation of possibilities through models, the distinction of genuine from non-genuine possibilities, and what the relevant concept(s) of 'possibility' is in a given field. We advance understanding of these problems by analyzing the possibility claims and the associated practices with tools and arguments from modal epistemology. Although modal epistemology has only addressed scientific possibility claims to a rather limited extent, it has recently undergone an "empirical turn", investigating justification strategies for modal claims based on empirical evidence – thus making it amenable to issues in the philosophy of science. The resources from modal epistemology that we are employing include conceptual distinctions, new perspectives, and novel justificatory strategies. With this approach, the symposium aims to achieve three goals. First, it aims to raise awareness of interesting philosophical issues relating to scientific practices involving possibility claims. Second, it advances the philosophical analysis of these issues. Finally, it showcases how drawing on modal epistemology can help philosophy of science in this matter.

Speakers

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Department of Philosophy
Royal Institute of Technology
Teknikringen 76
10044 Stockholm, Sweden

This project has received funding from the Swedish Research Council (Vetenskapsrådet), contract number 2018-01353. Principal Investigator: Till Grüne-Yanoff, Department of Philosophy and History of Technology, Royal Institute of Technology. Images © XXX.

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