European Journal for Philosophy of Science最新文献

{"title":"Can the non-identity theory answer the original criticisms of causal theories of spacetime?","authors":"Rasmus Jaksland, Niels Linnemann","doi":"10.1007/s13194-026-00728-x","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s13194-026-00728-x","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":48832,"journal":{"name":"European Journal for Philosophy of Science","volume":"51 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147461834","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"哲学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Science-based policymaking: the need to think holistically, realistically, and institutionally","authors":"Faik Kurtulmus","doi":"10.1007/s13194-026-00721-4","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s13194-026-00721-4","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":48832,"journal":{"name":"European Journal for Philosophy of Science","volume":"412 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147461835","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"哲学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Two Wrongs Make One Right","authors":"Michele Pizzochero","doi":"10.1007/s13194-026-00723-2","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s13194-026-00723-2","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":48832,"journal":{"name":"European Journal for Philosophy of Science","volume":"96 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147462055","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"哲学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A democratic science in an unequal world? The challenge of climate denialism for the new demarcation problem","authors":"Carolina Cuadrado Bastos, Laura Nuño de la Rosa","doi":"10.1007/s13194-025-00713-w","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s13194-025-00713-w","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":48832,"journal":{"name":"European Journal for Philosophy of Science","volume":"264 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147368043","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"哲学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"What makes big biology worth pursuing? new dimensions of scientific value","authors":"Parvathi Vijay, Ignazio Arrabito","doi":"10.1007/s13194-026-00726-z","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s13194-026-00726-z","url":null,"abstract":"The emergence of large-scale collaborative initiatives in biology – such as the Human Genome Project (HGP), Encyclopedia of Human DNA Elements (ENCODE), and the Human Cell Atlas (HCA) – has reshaped how biological knowledge is produced, validated, and utilized. These projects transcend traditional experimental paradigms by blending hypothesis-driven inquiry, infrastructure development, and technological innovation. However, existing philosophical frameworks for evaluating scientific “pursuitworthiness” – the criteria determining whether a research endeavor merits investigation – struggle to assess such initiatives. Developed primarily for small-scale hypothesis-testing or physics-inspired “big science,” traditional models inadequately capture the hybrid nature of big biology, which functions simultaneously as knowledge generator, technological incubator, and community resource. This paper examines the limitations of current pursuitworthiness frameworks through comparative case studies of the aforementioned landmark biological projects – the HGP, ENCODE, and the HCA. We argue that their value stems not just from answering specific research questions but from enabling diverse downstream investigations, democratizing technologies, and establishing shared standards. The analysis reveals tensions between big biology’s organizational realities and philosophical assumptions. Unlike physics projects with centralized facilities and stable theories, biological initiatives navigate irreducible complexity, decentralized collaboration, and evolving societal expectations. Funding cycles prioritizing rapid deliverables further complicate evaluations, as projects must balance immediate outputs with long-term infrastructural goals. To address these challenges, the paper recommends the integration of a multidimensional system for assessing pursuitworthiness in large-scale biology, recognizing that a project’s worth evolves across phases – from feasibility testing to community adoption. To illustrate this, we propose a tripartite framework considering epistemic, infrastructural, and technological dimensions of value. The analysis highlights the need for dynamic, context-sensitive evaluation that balances accountability with epistemic humility, and recognizes the delayed and distributed impacts of such initiatives. We call for models that align with biology’s evolving practices while inviting further refinement of criteria to better capture the multifaceted contributions of large-scale projects in the life sciences.","PeriodicalId":48832,"journal":{"name":"European Journal for Philosophy of Science","volume":"58 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147507891","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"哲学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"An instrumentalist approach to causation: The case of landslide research","authors":"Malvina Ongaro, Daniele Chiffi, Lorenza Petrini","doi":"10.1007/s13194-026-00718-z","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s13194-026-00718-z","url":null,"abstract":"Landslide risk offers a particularly interesting field of study for philosophers of science working on causation. Landslides are the result of complex causal dynamics, and the object of study of a variety of disciplines which are ultimately aimed at effective risk mitigation. For these reasons, causation is central to many instruments developed to study landslides. We illustrate four such instruments, and we show how each of them assumes a different concept of causation. This observation provides the ground for the defence of a pluralist account of conceptual causation. However, in defending this position we do not aim at establishing a universally correct account of causation. Instead, we examine the adequacy of different concepts for a specific purpose and in a specific context. We therefore supplement the descriptive observation of the plurality of concepts of causation involved in landslide research with the normative claim that this plurality cannot be reduced under a monist account, because the different concepts are necessary for different epistemic purposes. While our conclusions only hold for the specific case we analyse, the instrumentalist approach we propose can be generalised to other contexts and to other concepts.","PeriodicalId":48832,"journal":{"name":"European Journal for Philosophy of Science","volume":"90 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147507818","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"哲学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Facial analysis AI as social pseudotechnology","authors":"Päivi Seppälä, Ilmari Hirvonen","doi":"10.1007/s13194-026-00732-1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s13194-026-00732-1","url":null,"abstract":"Facial analysis AI applications have recently come under heavy criticism. They have been accused, for instance, of being discriminative, racist, and even pseudoscientific. In this paper, we assess the latter accusation. We argue that, in problematic cases, facial analysis AI should be considered a form of social pseudotechnology, although it might not be pseudoscientific. We also propose a new two-part definition of pseudotechnology: Either it is not justified that the pseudotechnology could achieve its intended practical purpose better than random chance through its operation principles, or it can achieve its purpose, but it is not justified that this happens through the features claimed to be crucial for its functioning. Stricter definitions of pseudotechnology have difficulty capturing such phenomena as facial analysis AI. When our definition is extended to social technologies, it becomes clear that social pseudotechnologies are more common than previously suggested. Because social pseudotechnologies influence how people act and think, they are not often perceived as pseudotechnologies. This resembles the phenomenon of reactivity, where scientific classifications affect people’s self-perceptions and perceptions of others. We support our claims with case studies of facial analysis AI technologies and pseudotechnologies. We engage with the current computer, behavioural, and social scientific literature to assess the extent to which it is justified to use facial analysis AI systems in these cases.","PeriodicalId":48832,"journal":{"name":"European Journal for Philosophy of Science","volume":"9 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147507877","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"哲学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Reproducibility, questionable research practices and ethico-epistemic trade-offs in animal-based biomedicine","authors":"Simon Lohse","doi":"10.1007/s13194-026-00727-y","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s13194-026-00727-y","url":null,"abstract":"I discuss reproducibility issues in animal-based research in biomedicine and scrutinise the notion that the causes of non-reproducible results are, by and large, the same as in other disciplines. I argue that there are certain challenges of animal experimentation that are important for a proper analysis of reproducibility problems but have not been sufficiently analysed in this context. I focus on challenges related to standardisation practices and trade-offs between epistemic ideals and moral considerations in animal experimentation. Using an approach that integrates epistemological and ethical perspectives, I explore these challenges and draw out normative consequences of my analysis for the discussion revolving around questionable research practices in animal-based biomedicine and generic reform initiatives.","PeriodicalId":48832,"journal":{"name":"European Journal for Philosophy of Science","volume":"15 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147507895","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"哲学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Splitting and lumping in the classification of social kinds: the case of money","authors":"Cristian Frasser, Gabriel Guzmán-Castro","doi":"10.1007/s13194-026-00736-x","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s13194-026-00736-x","url":null,"abstract":"This paper advances a pluralistic theory of social kinds, arguing that successful scientific classification in the social sciences arises from the co-determination of two constitutive axes. The first axis comprises different modes of ontological grounding, including historical lineages, multifunctional clusters, and isomorphic causal mechanisms. The second axis captures a spectrum of scientific interests, such as generalization versus specificity and explanation versus intervention. Projectible kinds are positioned at viable coordinates on these axes, where a robust ontological ground aligns with a specific scientific aim. This framework explains why some folk categories, such as everyday money, can be legitimately refined into multiple theoretical kinds, while others, such as hysteria, cannot, thereby ruling out relativistic “anything goes” conclusions. To illustrate the model, we examine the historical debate between the quantity theory and the classical theory of money. Economists strategically employ lumping and splitting to construct kinds suited to different scientific purposes. Lumping combines diverse monetary forms into a single, broader kind to support general theorization, while splitting differentiates money into narrower kinds to capture historical specificity. The framework yields two main insights. First, classical monetary economists treated kinds such as metallic or convertible money as projectible not through shared lineage, as Millikan’s historical kinds require, but through causal analogies. Second, the model challenges the claim that genuine kinds must support multiple generalizations. In the quantity theory, a ‘thin’, lumped kind of money remains scientifically legitimate because of the strong co-determination between a stable causal regularity and a scientific interest in macroeconomic prediction.","PeriodicalId":48832,"journal":{"name":"European Journal for Philosophy of Science","volume":"407 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147507876","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"哲学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Natural kinds pluralism refined: a meta-level defense","authors":"Risalatul Hukmi","doi":"10.1007/s13194-026-00724-1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s13194-026-00724-1","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":48832,"journal":{"name":"European Journal for Philosophy of Science","volume":"200 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-02-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147359881","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"哲学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}