Scientific models in engineering

When:

12 March 2014

19:00 Hour - 00:00 Hour

Event organizer:Philosophy & Technology

Description

Science and Technology. They are often mentioned in the same breath. But how does scientific research contribute to technology development? How should we understand the 'epistemological relationship' between the two? This is one of the themes of the Philosophy of Science in Practice chair. This new shoot on the stem of philosophy of science takes a new kind of approach in which traditional themes in philosophy of science are considered from the perspective of the technical sciences. This approach has led to a number of new insights, new ways of thinking about science. For example: What is knowledge? In traditional philosophy of science, scientific knowledge is a representation of reality 'behind observable phenomena.' But from the technical sciences, it seems more appropriate to conceive of scientific knowledge as 'epistemic tools.' An example of scientific knowledge is scientific models. According to this new idea, a scientific model is constructed in such a way that it constitutes a tool for thinking about reality, for example about how technological functions can be created or controlled. This idea will be explained and illustrated with examples in this lecture.

Prof Dr Mieke Boon is Professor of Philosophy of Science in Practice at the University of Twente and conducts philosophical research into the technical sciences, among other things. She looks at how scientific knowledge is made, and the role of our creativity in it. She is author of the book "Philosophy of Looking - Art in another perspective", together with Trouw editor Peter-Henk Steenhuis.
Boon studied Chemical Engineering at UT and TU Delft, in which she graduated cum laude. She received her PhD, also cum laude, from TU Delft on research in which she elucidated and modelled the mechanism of so-called bioleaching. She studied philosophy at the RUL. She also stood at the cradle of Ethics and Technology in the Netherlands, on which she lectured from 1986 onwards. At KIVI, she participated in the establishment of the Philosophy & Engineering Department, and led the Ethics and Engineering working group in its first years. In 2001, she exchanged her work in Biotechnology research at TU Delft for a position as an associate professor at UT in Hans Achterhuis' Department of Philosophy. In 2002, she acquired a NWO-VIDI grant on Philosophy of Science for the Engineering Sciences (NWO-VIDI grant under NWO's Renewal Impulse, 2003-2008). In 2006, she initiated the Society for Philosophy of Science in Practice (SPSP). In 2012, she received an NWO-Aspasia grant to continue her research.

Speaker(s)

In addition to her research, she teaches at the University of Twente in the philosophy master's programme PSTS, in excellence education such as honours education and University College ATLAS, and in regular teaching in various programmes.

Reference
Boon, M. (2012). Scientific concepts in the engineering sciences: Epistemic Tools for Creating and Intervening with Phenomena. In: Scientific Concepts and Investigative Practice U. Feest and F. Steinle (eds.). Berlin, New York: Walter De Gruyter GMBH & CO. KG, Series: Berlin Studies in Knowledge Research. 219-243.
A complete list of publications can be found below