University of Helsinki
At the Perspectives on Science seminar on Monday 21.9. Henk W. de Regt (Radboud University) will give a presentation titled “Understanding Scientific Understanding”. The seminar will be organized as an online meeting in Zoom from 2-4 pm. Zoom is an online conference tool supported by University of Helsinki.
Perspectives on Science is a weekly research seminar which brings together experts from science studies and philosophy of science. It is organized by TINT, the Centre for Philosophy of Social Science at the University of Helsinki. More information about the seminar here.
To join the seminar please contact tatu.nuotio(a)helsinki.fi or kaisla.kareoja(a)helsinki.fi. Information about using Zoom can be found here.
Author bio:
Henk W. de Regt is a professor of Philosophy of Natural Sciences in the Institute of Science in Society at Radboud University. He is well-known for his research on the nature of scientific understanding, a topic which he has approached with the combination of philosophical analysis and historical case studies. He received the 2019 Lakatos Award for his book Understanding Scientific Understanding (Oxford University Press, 2017).
Abstract:
It is widely acknowledged that a central aim of science is to achieve understanding of the world around us, and that possessing such understanding is highly important in our present-day society. But what precisely is scientific understanding, and when is it achieved? In my book Understanding Scientific Understanding (OUP, 2017), I develop a philosophical theory of scientific understanding that answers these questions. In contrast to most existing studies in this area, my approach takes into account scientists’ views on understanding and their role in scientific debate and development. In my talk I will outline my theory of scientific understanding and illustrate it with examples from the history of science.