Project description
Redefining our understanding of scientific influence
Scientific models wield significant influence beyond mere prediction, shaping policies and individual behaviours, a phenomenon known as performativity. This can undermine the accuracy of predictions, while also raising ethical concerns about the role of science in guiding human affairs. Despite the practical implications, the philosophy of science has yet to offer clear guidance on performative science. In this context, the ERC-funded MAPS project will explore the delicate balance between science’s epistemic role and its societal impact. Through close examination of scientific practices, MAPS seeks to assess and manage the ethical risks of performativity. Bridging philosophy and practice, it offers guidance on navigating the increasingly influential role of science in shaping our world.
Objective
Scientific models often do more than predict or explain. Especially in the social realm, they can also influence their targets – a capacity that is called “performativity”. By influencing policy making and individual behavior, models from economics, epidemiology, or machine learning increasingly perform the social world in significant ways. This development should be of utmost importance to philosophers, for two reasons:
First, performativity can impair scientific prediction and explanation. If, for instance, a model of the spread of COVID-19 predicts many deaths, people might reduce their social contacts in response, which may in turn lead to the predicted events not coming about! How should we evaluate such a prediction, and how should scientists deal with these effects?
Second, the development raises difficult ethical questions about the legitimacy of science guiding human affairs, and the values that are implicit in this process. Should we welcome science’s increasingly practical role in shaping policy-making and individual behavior? Or should we regard such influence as manipulative, potentially undermining democratic decision making?
These are difficult philosophical questions, but they also have significant practical import. Yet the philosophy of science hasn’t so far provided guidance on how performative science might be evaluated and managed. MAPS will close this lacuna.
The core aims of the project are:
(1) to develop a novel understanding of what performativity is and can do, by closely following scientific practice;
(2) to understand the intricate relationship between science’s epistemic and performative roles, and to assess the ethical risks of performativity; and
(3) to provide orientation to philosophers and practitioners for how to assess and manage performative science.
By integrating insights from scientific practice with philosophical assessment, the project will establish performativity management as a central theme of philosophical inquiry.
Fields of science
- social scienceseconomics and businesseconomics
- medical and health scienceshealth sciencespublic healthepidemiology
- medical and health scienceshealth sciencesinfectious diseasesRNA virusescoronaviruses
- natural sciencescomputer and information sciencesartificial intelligencemachine learning
- humanitiesphilosophy, ethics and religionphilosophy
Keywords
Programme(s)
- HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC) Main Programme
Topic(s)
Funding Scheme
HORIZON-ERC - HORIZON ERC GrantsHost institution
30167 Hannover
Germany