Conference theme
Ever since mid-1970s, the History and Philosophy of Science have taken an interest in the study of scientific practices [1]. Practice-based approaches of science are now well represented in the literature. The situation is different for the study of mathematical practices (MP). The last few decades the philosophy of mathematics, which traditionally focusses on foundational issues, has been supplemented by a number of converging approaches that promote the study of MP [2].
When studying MP, philosophers of mathematics attempt to explicate not how mathematics should be done according to some preconceived philosophical idea but how mathematics is (or has) actually (been) done. As a result of this, contemporary scholars of MP have focused not only on contemporary MP but they have also shown interest in the history of mathematics as a tool to gauge the development of MP [3].
As it currently stands, Philosophy of MP (PMP) is an emerging discipline that is steadily advancing at the dawn of this century as the growing number of conferences, edited volumes and monographs dedicated to it, and the establishment in 2009 of the Association of PMP (APMP), which was in fact co-founded by Jean Paul Van Bendegem, the director of the Centre for Logic and Philosophy of Science at the VUB, illustrate.
As is to be expected from an emerging discipline, PMP now needs to reflect upon its own theoretical perspective, methods and theoretical concepts. Recently, a practicebased approach has been proposed in the Philosophy of Logic that studies logical practices (PLP) [4]. This approach is explicitly developed in close dialogue with the PMP.
The theme of this international conference is scientific, mathematical and logical practices and the commonalities and dissimilarities between them, on the one hand, and between the History and Philosophy of Scientific Practice, the PMP, and the PLP, on the other.
Invited speakers
Karine Chemla (Paris), José Ferreirós (Sevilla), Sonja Smets (Amsterdam)
Call for papers
Deadline for submission via pasml2018@vubclps.be: 6 August 2018.
Notification of acceptance may be expected within two weeks from then, and will include instructions for registration.
Objectives
The aim of this transdisciplinary conference is to reflect upon and to put on the scholarly agenda the following series of non-exhaustive questions:
1. Questions related to practices (P) in general:
What does it mean to study P and cultures (C), which theoretical perspectives are there on the market and which among them has descriptive and explanatory surplus?
In what sense do the study of P widen our understanding of science, mathematics and logic and how can it contribute to educational studies in order to enhance students' learning process?
Is the concept 'scientific/mathematical/logical cultures' useful in the study of P?
What are the concepts, tools and methods (CTM) to be developed in the study of scientific, mathematical and logical P and C?
What do the CTM developed in the study of scientific P offer to PMP and PLP and what does the PMP offer to the PLP? What individuates these disciplines from a theoretical perspective?
To what kind of sources should we look at in the study of scientific, mathematical and logical P and C? Are there sources that have been neglected?
2. Questions related to the use of (historical) case-studies (CS) of P:
What can CS contribute to a better understanding of science, mathematics and logic and how can they take the study of these disciplines to the next level, i.e. what is their added value?
What exactly can we learn from (historical) CS concerning scientific, mathematical and logical P and C?
(Under which conditions) can we generalize the particularities revealed by CS and how can we draw philosophically relevant conclusions from them?
How can CS contribute to science, mathematics and logic education?
What counts as 'context' when we analyse historical and contemporary CS?
Can CS decide between competing philosophical accounts of science, mathematics and logic and, if so, under which conditions?
How are we to balance descriptive adequacy and philosophical insightfulness?
Scientific committee
Patrick Allo (Brussels), Gustaaf Cornelis (Brussels), Steffen Ducheyne (Brussels), José Ferreirós (Sevilla), Karen François (Brussels), Brendan Larvor (Hertfordshire), Joke Meheus (Gent), Sonja Smets (Amsterdam), Eric Vandendriessche (Paris), Jean Paul Van Bendegem (Brussels), Bart Van Kerkhove (Brussels), Erik Weber (Gent)
Organizing committee
Patrick Allo (Brussels), Gustaaf Cornelis (Brussels), Sven Delarivière (Brussels), Steffen Ducheyne (Brussels), Karen François (Brussels), Yacin Hamami (Brussels), Joke Meheus (Gent), Colin Rittberg (Brussels), Bart Van Kerkhove (Brussels), Nigel Vinckier (Brussels), Erik Weber (Gent)
Contact
Send an e-mail to Steffen Ducheyne via pasml2018@vubclps.be.
Registration and Conference Fee
Participants and speakers can register with the following form.
The conference fee of 210 euro (PhD students: 160 EUR) should be paid by bank-transfer on the account BE10 0013 4095 7504 (BIC: GE BA BE BB) with the mention CONI655 (please bring a proof of payment), or in cash upon arrival.
References
[1] See e.g. Pickering, Andrew (ed.) (1992). Science as Practice and Culture (University of Chicago Press) and Soler, Léna, Sjoerd Zwart, Michael Lynch and Vincent Israel Jost (eds.) (2014). Science after the Practice Turn in the Philosophy, History and Social Studies of Science (Routledge).
[2] For instance — in chronological order: Azzouni, Jody (1994). Metaphysical Myths, Mathematical Practice (Cambridge University Press); Van Kerkhove, Bart and Jean Paul van Bendegem (eds.) (2007). Perspectives on Mathematical Practices (Springer); Van Kerkhove, Bart (2009). New Perspectives on Mathematical Practice: Essays in Philosophy and History of Mathematics (World Scientific); Van Kerkhove, Bart, Jonas De Vuyst and Jean Paul van Bendegem (eds.) (2010). Philosophical Perspectives on Mathematical Practice (College Publications); Löwe, Benedikt and Thomas Müller (eds.) (2010). Philosophy of Mathematics: Sociological Aspects of Mathematical Practice (College Publications); Mancosu, Paolo (ed.) (2012). The Philosophy of Mathematical Practice (Oxford University Press); Ferreirós, José (2016). Mathematical Knowledge and the Interplay of Practices (Princeton University Press); Wagner, Roi (2017). Making and Breaking Mathematical Sense: Histories and Philosophies of Mathematical Practice (Princeton University Press).
[3] E.g. Mancosu, Paolo (1996). Philosophy of Mathematics and Mathematical Practice in the Seventeenth Century. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
[4] Dutilh Novaes, Catherina (2012a). Towards a Practice-based Philosophy of Logic: Formal Languages as a Case-study. Philosophia Scientiae 16.1: 71-102 and id. (2012b). Formal Languages from a Cognitive Perspective (Cambridge University Press).
This conference is supported by