Have we just moved into the age of techno-science?

Symposium Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

Presentations by Alfred Nordmann, Peter Kroes, Chunglin Kwa and Harry Kunneman

With this symposium the Dutch-Flemish Network for Philosophy of Science and Technology (NFWT) celebrates its fifth anniversary





Date: Friday, June 13, 2008

Location: Room 12A-05, Hoofdgebouw, Vrije Universiteit, De Boelelaan 1105, Amsterdam





The theme

The past decades have shown substantial changes in how science is practised, institutionalized and conceptualized. We have seen the rise of a variety of practical sciences, of a much more prominent role for technology in science, of increasing interactions between science, industry and the state, and of a strong commercialization of the university. Do these changes amount to an ‘epochal break’ in the historical development of science? Have we just moved into the age of techno-science? Has there been a novel scientific revolution, from a Mode 1 to a Mode 2 approach? Taking account of possible differentiations between the physical sciences, the biomedical sciences, the engineering sciences, the social sciences, and the humanities, these questions will be discussed from historical, philosophical, social and normative perspectives.





Programme:

13.30-14.30: Alfred Nordmann (professor of philosophy, TU Darmstadt/Columbia University, South Carolina): “The age of techno-science”

14.30-15.00: Peter Kroes (professor of philosophy of the engineering sciences, TU Delft): “Nil novi sub sole?”

15.00-15.30: coffee and tea break

15.30-16.00: Chunglin Kwa (associate professor of science dynamics, University of Amsterdam): “Alliances between styles: a new model for the interaction between science and technology”

16.00-16.30: Harry Kunneman (professor of philosophy of the social sciences, University for Humanistics, Utrecht): “‘Answering the call of the day’: techno-science, capitalism and postmodern morality”

16.30-17.15: general discussion

17.15-18.15: drinks





Registration: entrance is free, but registration is required; please mail to Sara de Wit (S.de_Wit@ph.vu.nl).

Further information about the symposium: Hans Radder (H.Radder@ph.vu.nl); about the NFWT: see http://logica.ugent.be/NFWT/indexNed.html