Logic List Mailing Archive

CfP special issue of Axiomathes on "Mathematical neutrality in science, technology, & society", Deadline: 1 Dec 2022

Special Issue of Axiomathes
Mathematical neutrality in science, technology and society
(deadline:  December 1, 2022)

Guest Editors: José Antonio Pérez-Escobar (École Normale Supérieure Paris; 
jose.antonio.perez.escobar@ens.pls.eu) and Deniz Sarikaya (Centre for Logic and 
Philosophy of Science of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel; deniz.sarikaya@vub.be)

The interplay between scientific knowledge and society is a central theme 
in the philosophy of science. Engineering and science crucially rely on 
mathematical tools, and mathematics might influence society via the 
sciences or even directly.

Mathematics is usually regarded as a discipline which admits no grey areas 
in most situations: answers are either correct or incorrect; there is a 
universal, objective, correct answer. On the other hand, ethical, moral 
and political questions are usually not "correct" or "incorrect", they are 
complicated and full of grey areas. This makes it extremely tempting to 
see the sciences and mathematics as a good way to settle disputes 
concerning issues like justice or equity. If the ethical/moral/political 
question can be reduced to a mathematical question, may the grey areas 
disappear? Can we make use of modern technologies like AI, Big Data and 
Machine learning to this end? How can mathematics promote consensus in 
controversial topics?.

Similarly, it is usually considered that mathematics is the universal 
language of the world, one that describes it "as it is". According to this 
view, mathematics is neutral in the production of scientific knowledge: 
the scientist discovers the mathematical rules of nature (like laws and 
mathematical models) and applies mathematical methods to which nature owes 
allegiance (like statistics and algorithms).

Recent scholarship warns about the increasing use of mathematical 
techniques in order to prescribe policies and produce knowledge under a 
veil of neutrality, and argues that we should carefully evaluate the 
consequences of these techniques in science and society. This Topical 
Collection aims at contributing to this literature. Topics include but are 
not limited to:

- The moral responsibility of pure and applied mathematicians
- Value-ladenness of mathematics
- Algorithmic governance
- The mathematization of science: how (not) to use mathematics, and 
ethical/epistemic consequences
- Statistics in science and society: how (not) to use statistics, and 
ethical/epistemic consequences
- Ethical concerns about mathematics education

The second co-editor is supported by the FWO Project The Epistemology of 
Data Science: Mathematics and the Critical Research Agenda on Data 
Practices (FWOAL950)

For further information, or if you are unsure whether your paper idea fits 
the theme, please contact ideally both of us: 
jose.antonio.perez.escobar@ens.psl.eu; deniz.sarikaya@vub.be. The deadline 
for submissions is December 1, 2022.

Papers should be submitted via Axiomathes' editorial manager at: 
https://www.editorialmanager.com/axio/default1.aspx. When the system asks 
you to "Choose Article Type", please scroll down in the pull-down menu to 
choose this topical collection. (Tag S.I. Mathematical neutrality in 
science, technology and society)

When preparing your paper, please read the journal's 'Instructions for 
authors' at: https://www.springer.com/journal/10516/submission-guidelines
--
[LOGIC] mailing list
http://www.dvmlg.de/mailingliste.html
Archive: http://www.illc.uva.nl/LogicList/

provided by a collaboration of the DVMLG, the Maths Departments in Bonn and Hamburg, and the ILLC at the Universiteit van Amsterdam