260030 Conceptual Change in Science and Society (GradS) (WiSe 2025/2026)

Concepts are crucial tools to gain access and act upon phenomena in the natural and the social world. Researchers introduce, extend and revise terms like “gene” or “climate change” to understand heredity or global warming, while policymakers or activists use them to fight the climate crisis or social injustice.

But when does conceptual change succeed or fail to advance our scientific understanding of phenomena? How do epistemic, practical or political goals justify conceptual change? And when should a concept be extended to novel case, or eliminated from discourse altogether?

Normative theories of conceptual change aim to answer these questions. While theories from philosophy of science focus on the epistemic dimension of conceptual change, theories of conceptual engineering also include social and political dimensions of changing terms like “race” or “gender”.

In the seminar we will read foundational texts in both fields, and pair them with chapters from my book manuscript ("The Conceptual Fabric of Science").

The seminar will be held in English. The course is directed at graduate and upper-level BA students with an active interest in conceptual change in science and society. Basic knowledge in philosophy of science and philosophy of language is required for participation.

Requirements for participation, required level

DIES IST EIN FACHWISSENSCHAFTLICHES MASTER-SEMINAR.
An diesem Seminar können insgesamt maximal 10 Bachelor-Studierende teilnehmen. Für alle Studierenden, die regulär in einem Master Philosophie eingeschrieben sind, gilt keine Teilnehmendenbegrenzung.
Diese Veranstaltung ist konzipiert für Masterstudierende im Fach Philosophie. Andere Studierende der Philosophie können nur teilnehmen, wenn sie das Anmeldeverfahren durchlaufen und eine Zusage der Lehrperson bekommen haben. Zur Anmeldung senden Sie der Lehrperson eine E-Mail mit Angabe Ihres Namens, des Fachsemesters, in dem Sie sein werden, und mit einer Begründung, warum Sie an diesem Seminar teilnehmen wollen. Sie erhalten rechtzeitig Bescheid, ob Sie an der Veranstaltung teilnehmen dürfen.

Bibliography

Literature
1. Bloch-Mullins, Corinne (2020). Scientific Concepts as Forward-Looking: How Taxonomic Structure Facilitates Conceptual Development. Journal of the Philosophy of History 14 (2): 205–231.
2. Taylor, Henry and Peter Vickers (2017). Conceptual Fragmentation and the Rise of Eliminativism. European Journal for Philosophy of Science 7 (1): 17–40.
3. Haslanger, Sally (2020). Going on, not in the same way. In H. Cappellen, A. Burgess & D. Plunkett. Conceptual Engineering and Conceptual Ethics. Oxford: Oxford UP, (pp. 230-260).