Liam Bright, London School of Economics Scientific Conclusions Need Not Be Accurate, Justified, or Believed by their Authors (This talk is being given by Liam Bright and was coauthored by Haixin Dang) ABSTRACT: It is often claimed that assertions are utterances held to certain norms, called norms of assertion. Some philosophers believe assertions are governed […]

Michael Dietrich, Univ. of Pittsburgh, Dept. of HPS The Politics of Embryology: Johannes Holtfreter’s Flight from Nazi Germany ABSTRACT:  Johannes Holtfreter was forced to leave Nazi Germany.  Unlike other exiled biologists though, Holtfreter was not of Jewish ancestry.  He was a rare political refugee.   But, did his forced migration have an impact on his […]

Mark Wilson, Department of Philosophy, University of Pittsburgh How “Wavelength” Found its Truth-Values ABSTRACT:  Philosophers of science and metaphysicians frequently declare that they are only interested in the “fundamental part” of a theory T, and not in the grubby tactics utilized to extract concrete conclusions from them.  “As a philosopher I am only interested in […]