Dear all,
A reminder that this coming Friday (07/03/14), Andrew Buskell (HPS) will be
presenting his paper ‘The Prospects for Darwinian Imperialism’ at the HPS
Philosophy Workshop. We meet at 12 noon in Seminar Room 1 in the HPS Department
on Free School Lane.
If you would like a copy of the draft paper Andrew will be presenting, please
e-mail me to request it.
===========
ABSTRACT
Alex Mesoudi, together with various co-authors, has recently levelled serious
allegations against contemporary social sciences (anthropology, archaeology,
sociology, experimental psychology, among others). According to Mesoudi, not
only are their methods suspect and inefficient, but they also use mutually
incommensurable vocabularies, preventing any potentially fruitful
interdisciplinary linkages. In the light of such a situation, Mesoudi argues
that the social sciences need a unifying framework, one that provides efficient
and productive methods, while also allowing for and promoting
cross-disciplinary projects and analyses.
Mesoudi’s preferred cure for this situation is a framework modelled on the
Darwinian one he sees at play in the biological sciences. Just as the
biological sciences have been unified under the aegis of the Modern Synthesis,
Mesoudi argues, so too can the social sciences be unified under a new, Cultural
Synthesis, based around Darwinian principles. But what I will show is that
what Mesoudi means by ‘framework’, let alone a ‘Darwinian framework’ is far
from clear.
I will argue that we can isolate three different interpretations, or
understandings, of what Mesoudi means when he invokes a ‘Darwinian framework’,
and that Mesoudi plumps for the strongest of the three. However, I will
suggest that the two arguments he puts forward for this strong interpretation
are flawed. Indeed, I will close by suggesting that only the weakest
interpretation of what a ‘Darwinian framework’ entails has any empirical
support, but that this weak interpretation shares only a tenuous relationship
to Darwinian evolution as it is used in the biological sciences.
===========
The atmosphere of the Philosophy Workshop is friendly and relaxed—it’s a venue
for junior members of the university to present draft work in the philosophy of
science. After a short presentation by the speaker, there is discussion and
feedback of the work, with tea, coffee, and biscuits. All are welcome to join!
If you are an MPhil or Part III student, PhD student, or post-doc, and you
would like to present in next term’s philosophy workshop, drop me an email to
let me know!
Best,
Toby Bryant
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