Logic List Mailing Archive

"Simplicities & Complexities"

22-24 May 2019
Bonn, Germany

International Conference on Simplicities and Complexities
22-24 May 2019
Bonn, Germany
Call for Papers - Deadline: 15 January 2019
https://www.lhc-epistemologie.uni-wuppertal.de/complexities 
<https://www.lhc-epistemologie.uni-wuppertal.de/complexities>
https://easychair.org/cfp/simplecomplex1 
<https://easychair.org/cfp/simplecomplex1>


"Simplicities and Complexities" will take place from 22 to 24 May 2019 at 
the University of Bonn, Germany. It aims to bring together scientists and 
scholars from a spectrum of disciplines such as physics, biology, ecology, 
chemistry, and computational science, as well as from philosophy, 
sociology, and history of science. This conference is organized by the 
interdisciplinary, DFG- and FWF-funded research unit "Epistemology of the 
LHC <https://www.lhc-epistemologie.uni-wuppertal.de/home.html>".

Philosophers and scientists alike have often assumed simplicity to be an 
epistemic ideal. Some examples of theories taken as successful 
realizations of this ideal include General Relativity and Darwin's theory 
of Natural Selection. These theories influenced early and mid-20th century 
philosophers' understanding of the criteria successful scientific theories 
and practices had to meet, even when facing complex phenomena. However, 
this influence did not mean that the notion of simplicity was clear-cut. A 
suitable and encompassing definition of simplicity has yet to be 
developed. Some unanswered questions include: In what sense can and do 
physicists consider a theory, such as the Standard Model of elementary 
particle physics, as being sufficiently simple? How do ideals of 
simplicity differ when applied to disciplines other than physics? 
Biological concepts, for example, do not tend to refer to laws, whereas 
concepts from the social sciences frequently resort to notions of order 
and structure that are different from those of natural sciences. Are 
there, accordingly, simplicities (in plural) rather than a unified 
logic-inspired notion? Finally, are there cases where simplicity is simply 
a bad epistemic ideal, and not merely for the reason that it is often 
unreachable?

Throughout the 20th century the sciences have approached more and more 
complex phenomena, in tune with the increased social relevance of 
scientific knowledge. The perceived need to address complexity head-on has 
led to a broader reaction against simplification and reductionism within 
the sciences. However, if simplicity, in its various outfits, has proven 
an unreliable guide, what should it be replaced with? Looking at the 
various strategies of addressing complexity in the sciences and the 
disciplines reflecting upon them, it appears that the notion is at least 
as variegated as simplicity. To be sure, there exist measures of 
complexity as well as mathematical, empirical, or discursive strategies to 
deal with it, but they vary strongly from one discipline to another.

The aim of the conference is to analyze, differentiate, and connect the 
various notions and practices of simplicity and complexity, in physics as 
well as in other sciences, guided by the following questions:


 	Which kinds and levels of simplicity can be distinguished (e.g. formal 
or ontological, structural or practical)? Which roles do they play and which 
purposes do they serve? Does simplicity, in a suitable reformulation, remain a 
valid ideal - and if so, in which fields and problem contexts? Or, instead, 
where has it been abandoned or replaced by a plurality of interconnected 
approaches and alternative perspectives?
 	What about complexity? How is the complexity of an object of 
investigation addressed (represented, mirrored, negated, etc.) by the adopted 
theoretical and empirical approaches in different fields?
 	Addressing complex problems, especially those relevant to society, 
requires institutional settings beyond the traditional research laboratory. How 
does the complexity of such settings relate to the complexity of epistemic 
strategies and of the problems themselves? In what sense can we trust the other 
players in a complex epistemic network?
 	How should we conceive of the relation between simplicity and 
complexity? Are there alternatives to seeing complexity in opposition to 
simplicity? Does physics, in virtue of its history, maintain its special 
position in the contemporary debates on simplicity and complexity? What do 
reflections on the epistemic cultures of ecology, cultural anthropology, 
economics, etc. have to offer in terms of how simplicities and complexities can 
be balanced?
We invite contributors from a spectrum of disciplines, scientists and scholars 
reflecting on their respective and neighboring research fields, as well as 
historians, philosophers, and sociologists of science investigating the 
epistemologies, practices, and discourses of fellow epistemic communities. The 
conference will thrive on intense discussion surpassing disciplinary 
boundaries.


Invited Speakers

Physics:
Robert Harlander, RWTH Aachen (Germany)
Stephen Blundell, University of Oxford (UK)
Beate Heinemann, DESY Freiburg (Germany)

Philosophy:
Michael Stöltzner, University of South Carolina (US)
Marta Bertolaso, University Campus Bio-Medico of Rome (Italy)
Alan Baker, Swarthmore College (US)

STS:
Talia Dan-Cohen, Washington University in St. Louis (US)
Stefan Böschen, RWTH Aachen (Germany)

Other Sciences:
Volker Grimm, Helmholtz Centre for Enviromental Research (Germany)
Thomas Vogt, University of South Carolina (US)

Other speakers will be announced soon




Call for Papers

https://easychair.org/cfp/simplecomplex1 
<https://easychair.org/cfp/simplecomplex1>
The organisation committee invites abstract submissions on the theme of the 
conference. Short abstracts (200-300 words) should be submitted to EasyChair by 
15 January 2019. We aim to communicate our decision by 28 February. Submissions 
are welcome from the broad spectrum of scientific fields.

Organization

This workshop is organized by the DFG and FWF-funded research unit 
"Epistemology of the LHC 
<https://www.lhc-epistemologie.uni-wuppertal.de/home.html>".

 	Cristin Chall (University of Bonn)
 	Dennis Lehmkuhl (University of Bonn)
 	Niels Martens (RWTH Aachen)
 	Martina Merz (University of Klagenfurt)
 	Miguel Ã?ngel Carretero Sahuquillo (University of Wuppertal)
 	Gregor Schiemann (University of Wuppertal)
 	Michael Stöltzner (University of South Carolina)


Contact

For further information, please contact lhc.epistemology@uni-wuppertal.de
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