Introduction to the topical Collection: Concept formation in the natural and social sciences: empirical and normative aspects

Research output: Contribution to journalEditorial in journalResearchpeer review

Authors

  • Georg Brun
  • Catherine Herfeld
  • Kevin Reuter

External Research Organisations

  • University of Bern
  • Universität Zürich (UZH)
View graph of relations

Details

Original languageEnglish
Article number89
JournalSYNTHESE
Volume201
Issue number3
Publication statusPublished - 24 Feb 2023
Externally publishedYes

Abstract

Concept formation has recently become a widely discussed topic in philosophy under the headings of “conceptual engineering”, “conceptual ethics”, and “ameliorative analysis”. Much of this work has been inspired either by the method of explication or by ameliorative projects. In the former case, concept formation is usually seen as a tool of the sciences, of formal disciplines, and of philosophy. In the latter case, concept formation is seen as a tool in the service of social progress. While recent philosophical discussions on concept formation have addressed natural sciences such as physics as well as various life sciences, so far there is only little direct engagement with the social sciences. To address this shortcoming is important because many debates about socially relevant concepts such as power, gender, democracy, risk, justice, or rationality, may best be understood as engaging in conceptual engineering. This topical collection addresses the nature and structure of concept formation in the natural, the life, and the social sciences alike, both as a process taking place within science and as an activity that aims at a broader impact in society. This helps to understand how concept formation proceeds not only in the natural sciences but also in disciplines such as psychology, cognitive science, political science, sociology and economics.

Keywords

    Concept formation, Conceptual engineering, Explication, Measurement, Social kinds

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Cite this

Introduction to the topical Collection: Concept formation in the natural and social sciences: empirical and normative aspects. / Brun, Georg; Herfeld, Catherine; Reuter, Kevin.
In: SYNTHESE, Vol. 201, No. 3, 89, 24.02.2023.

Research output: Contribution to journalEditorial in journalResearchpeer review

Download
@article{0631e950cd6a4ae58225367f8ef5dc3b,
title = "Introduction to the topical Collection: Concept formation in the natural and social sciences: empirical and normative aspects",
abstract = "Concept formation has recently become a widely discussed topic in philosophy under the headings of “conceptual engineering”, “conceptual ethics”, and “ameliorative analysis”. Much of this work has been inspired either by the method of explication or by ameliorative projects. In the former case, concept formation is usually seen as a tool of the sciences, of formal disciplines, and of philosophy. In the latter case, concept formation is seen as a tool in the service of social progress. While recent philosophical discussions on concept formation have addressed natural sciences such as physics as well as various life sciences, so far there is only little direct engagement with the social sciences. To address this shortcoming is important because many debates about socially relevant concepts such as power, gender, democracy, risk, justice, or rationality, may best be understood as engaging in conceptual engineering. This topical collection addresses the nature and structure of concept formation in the natural, the life, and the social sciences alike, both as a process taking place within science and as an activity that aims at a broader impact in society. This helps to understand how concept formation proceeds not only in the natural sciences but also in disciplines such as psychology, cognitive science, political science, sociology and economics.",
keywords = "Concept formation, Conceptual engineering, Explication, Measurement, Social kinds",
author = "Georg Brun and Catherine Herfeld and Kevin Reuter",
note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.",
year = "2023",
month = feb,
day = "24",
doi = "10.1007/s11229-023-04094-6",
language = "English",
volume = "201",
journal = "SYNTHESE",
issn = "0039-7857",
publisher = "Springer Netherlands",
number = "3",

}

Download

TY - JOUR

T1 - Introduction to the topical Collection

T2 - Concept formation in the natural and social sciences: empirical and normative aspects

AU - Brun, Georg

AU - Herfeld, Catherine

AU - Reuter, Kevin

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.

PY - 2023/2/24

Y1 - 2023/2/24

N2 - Concept formation has recently become a widely discussed topic in philosophy under the headings of “conceptual engineering”, “conceptual ethics”, and “ameliorative analysis”. Much of this work has been inspired either by the method of explication or by ameliorative projects. In the former case, concept formation is usually seen as a tool of the sciences, of formal disciplines, and of philosophy. In the latter case, concept formation is seen as a tool in the service of social progress. While recent philosophical discussions on concept formation have addressed natural sciences such as physics as well as various life sciences, so far there is only little direct engagement with the social sciences. To address this shortcoming is important because many debates about socially relevant concepts such as power, gender, democracy, risk, justice, or rationality, may best be understood as engaging in conceptual engineering. This topical collection addresses the nature and structure of concept formation in the natural, the life, and the social sciences alike, both as a process taking place within science and as an activity that aims at a broader impact in society. This helps to understand how concept formation proceeds not only in the natural sciences but also in disciplines such as psychology, cognitive science, political science, sociology and economics.

AB - Concept formation has recently become a widely discussed topic in philosophy under the headings of “conceptual engineering”, “conceptual ethics”, and “ameliorative analysis”. Much of this work has been inspired either by the method of explication or by ameliorative projects. In the former case, concept formation is usually seen as a tool of the sciences, of formal disciplines, and of philosophy. In the latter case, concept formation is seen as a tool in the service of social progress. While recent philosophical discussions on concept formation have addressed natural sciences such as physics as well as various life sciences, so far there is only little direct engagement with the social sciences. To address this shortcoming is important because many debates about socially relevant concepts such as power, gender, democracy, risk, justice, or rationality, may best be understood as engaging in conceptual engineering. This topical collection addresses the nature and structure of concept formation in the natural, the life, and the social sciences alike, both as a process taking place within science and as an activity that aims at a broader impact in society. This helps to understand how concept formation proceeds not only in the natural sciences but also in disciplines such as psychology, cognitive science, political science, sociology and economics.

KW - Concept formation

KW - Conceptual engineering

KW - Explication

KW - Measurement

KW - Social kinds

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85148958359&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1007/s11229-023-04094-6

DO - 10.1007/s11229-023-04094-6

M3 - Editorial in journal

AN - SCOPUS:85148958359

VL - 201

JO - SYNTHESE

JF - SYNTHESE

SN - 0039-7857

IS - 3

M1 - 89

ER -