BJPS Popper Prize 2017
The Editors of the BJPS and the BSPS committee are delighted to announce that Grant Ramsey and Andreas de Block are the 2017 winners of the BJPS Popper Prize for their article ‘Is Cultural Fitness Hopelessly Confused?’.
Entries by Elizabeth Hannon
Marc Lange, ‘Because without Cause’ // Reviewed by Sorin Bangu
Sorin Bangu reviews Because without Cause, by Marc Lange
Lakatos Award Lectures
Endowed by the Latsis Foundation, the Lakatos Award is given to an outstanding contribution to the philosophy of science. Winners are presented with a medal and given the chance to deliver a lecture based on the winning work. To celebrate the 2015 and the 2016 award winners—Thomas Pradeu and Brian Epstein, respectively—they each delivered a lecture at the LSE last week. Introduced by Hasok Chang, Pradeu’s lecture is entitled ‘Why Philosophy in Science? Re-Visiting Immunology and Biological Individuality’ and Epstein’s is ‘Rebuilding the Foundations of the Social Sciences’.
Richard Bradley, ‘Decision Theory with a Human Face’ // Reviewed by Seamus Bradley
Seamus Bradley reviews Decision Theory with a Human Face, by Richard Bradley
The Metaphysical Status of Quantities | J. E. Wolff
Paradigmatic physical attributes, like energy, mass, length, charge, or temperature are quantities. That these attributes are quantitative is important for experiments (they can be measured), as well as theories (we can formulate quantitative laws that hold between them). Quantities are arguably central to science, and especially to the physical sciences. Quantities pose peculiar epistemological and metaphysical challenges.
Stéphanie Ruphy, ‘Scientific Pluralism Reconsidered’ // Reviewed by Michela Massimi
Michela Massimi reviews Scientific Pluralism Reconsidered, by Stéphanie Ruphy
Compatibilism about Chance and Determinism | Nina Emery
Suppose that it is already determined that the coin I just flipped will land heads. Can it also be the case that that very coin, on that very flip, has some chance of landing tails? Intuitively, the answer is no. But according to an increasing number of contemporary philosophers, especially philosophers of physics, the answer is yes.
Aizawa and Gillett, ‘Scientific Composition and Metaphysical Ground’ // Reviewed by Michael Bertrand
Michael Bertrand reviews Scientific Composition and Metaphysical Ground, by Aizawa and Gillett
Christian Wüthrich’s ‘The Temporal and Atemporal Emergence of (Space-)Time’
Christian Wüthrich delivered one of the plenary talks at this summer’s BSPS conference in Edinburgh and lo! It was recorded (future is now!).
Shan Gao, ‘Protective Measurement and Quantum Reality’ // Reviewed by Valia Allori
Valia Allori reviews Protective Measurement and Quantum Reality, by Shan Gao