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Managing Performative Science

Descripción del proyecto

Redefinir nuestra comprensión de la influencia científica

Los modelos científicos ejercen una influencia importante más allá de la mera predicción, lo que configura políticas y comportamientos individuales, un fenómeno conocido como performatividad. Esto puede socavar la exactitud de las predicciones, al tiempo que plantea problemas éticos sobre el papel que desempeña la ciencia en la orientación de los asuntos humanos. A pesar de sus implicaciones prácticas, la filosofía de la ciencia aún no ha ofrecido una guía clara sobre la ciencia performativa. En este contexto, el equipo del proyecto MAPS, financiado por el CEI, explorará el delicado equilibrio entre el papel epistémico de la ciencia y su impacto social. Mediante un examen minucioso de las prácticas científicas, en MAPS se intenta evaluar y gestionar los riesgos éticos de la performatividad. Al tender un puente entre la filosofía y la práctica, se ofrece una orientación para comprender el papel cada vez más influyente de la ciencia en la configuración de nuestro mundo.

Objetivo

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.

Régimen de financiación

HORIZON-ERC - HORIZON ERC Grants

Institución de acogida

GOTTFRIED WILHELM LEIBNIZ UNIVERSITAET HANNOVER
Aportación neta de la UEn
€ 1 499 520,00
Dirección
WELFENGARTEN 1
30167 Hannover
Alemania

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Región
Niedersachsen Hannover Region Hannover
Tipo de actividad
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
Enlaces
Coste total
€ 1 499 520,00

Beneficiarios (1)