Join us on Wednesday, April 6th from 7:00 to 8:30 PM in Kane Hall 220 for Progress in the Sciences and in the Arts presented by Philip Kitcher, John Dewey Professor of Philosophy at Columbia University, a reception will follow in the Walker-Ames Room (Kane 225). To register, go to the Events Calendar and click the “Register” button below the April 6, 2016 event listing.
Progress in the Sciences and in the Arts
This lecture will challenge the common view that the sciences make progress while the arts do not. Distinguishing teleological progress (coming closer to a goal) from pragmatic progress (solving some of the problems of your current state), Kitcher argues that scientific progress should be seen as pragmatic. From this view, it becomes evident that scientific progress has social dimensions. In turn, by accepting a socially embedded notion of scientific progress, Kitcher allows for a parallel concept of progress applicable to the arts.
Philip Kitcher, John Dewey Professor of Philosophy at Columbia University, is interested in the ethical and political constraints on scientific research, the evolution of altruism and morality, and the seeming conflict between science and religion. Kitcher’s recent books include Life after Faith: The Case for Secular Humanism, Preludes to Pragmatism, and The Ethical Project. Kitcher has been an American Academy of Arts and Sciences Fellow, and was awarded the APA Prometheus Prize for lifetime achievement in “expanding the frontiers of science and philosophy.”
This lecture is free and open to the public
To request disability accommodation, contact the Disability Services Office at least ten days in advance at 206.543.6450, 206.543.6452/TTY, 206.685.7264/FAX or dso@uw.edu
Sponsored by: The Earl & Edwina Stice Memorial Lectureship in Social Sciences