Future of Social Epistemology

The Future of Social Epistemology: A Collective Vision sets an agenda for exploring the future of what we – human beings reimagining our selves and our society – want, need and ought to know. The book examines, concretely, practically and speculatively, key ideas such as the public conduct of philosophy, models for extending and distributing knowledge, the interplay among individuals and groups, risk taking and the welfare state, and envisioning people and societies remade through the breakneck pace of scientific and technological change. An international team of contributors offers a ‘collective vision’, one that speaks to what they see unfolding and how to plan and conduct the dialogue and work leading to a knowable and desirable world. The book describes and advances an intellectual agenda for the future of social epistemology.

This collection of twenty-five original essays from an international group of scholars proposes various possible avenues of development for the emerging study of social epistemology. As much a shared agenda or vision statement as it is a series of discussions that take stock of where social epistemology is now, the essays cover topics such as how to extend and distribute knowledge, the public conduct of philosophy, and how the social study of knowledge may be affected by scientific and technological change. The contributions collectively provide a practical guide to the student of social epistemology…., As a new interdisciplinary area of knowledge production and dissemination, Social Epistemology has found its own voice and international disciples. This volume brings together not only a variety of perspectives and practices, but also a self-reflexive moment that looks at the present condition of the field to envision its future. A must read for the novice and the curious., Taking stock and simultaneously exploring new perspectives, this is a bold and timely addition to the existing literature. New voices join established scholars in a collaborative effort to challenge disciplinary boundaries; the result is a vibrant and thought-provoking collection of papers – as much a contribution to the social study of knowledge as it is an experiment with doing social epistemology.

James H. Collier is Associate Professor of Science and Technology in Society at Virginia Tech. He is the Executive Editor of Social Epistemology and the Founding and Acting Editor of the Social Epistemology Review and Reply Collective, www.social-epistemology.com. Contributors:Thomas Basbøll, Writing Consultant, Copenhagen Business School, Denmark; Laura Cabrera, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, National Centre for Neuroethics, University of British Columbia, Canada; Emma Craddock, Postgraduate Research Student, Sociology and Social Policy, University of Nottingham, UK; William Davis, Doctoral Candidate, Science and Technology in Society, Virginia Tech University, USA; Susan Dieleman, Assistant Professor, Philosophy, Dalhoisie University, USA; Martin Evenden, Assistant Professor, English, National Taichung University of Education, Taiwan; Steve Fuller, Professor, Sociology, University of Warwick, UK; Inanna Hamati-Ataya, Reader in International Politics, Aberystwyth University, UK; Eric Kerr, Postdoctoral Fellow, Asia Research Institute, National University of Singapore; Joan Leach, Associate Professor, School of English, Media Studies and Art History University of Queensland, Australia; Veronika Lipinska, independent scholar, UK; Carlo Martini, Postdoctoral Researcher, Finnish Centre of Excellence in the Philosophy of the Social Sciences, Finland; Jonathan Matheson, Assistant Professor Philosophy, University of North Florida, USA; Fabien Medvecky, Faculty Member, University of Otago, Centre for Science Communication, New Zealand; María G. Navarro, Postdoctoral Researcher, Spanish Council for Scientific Research; Stephen Norrie, Lecturer, Loughborough University, UK; Phil Olson, Assistant Professor, Science and Technology in Society, Virginia Tech University, USA; Melissa Orozco, Psychology Faculty, Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro, Mexico; Victoria Peake, Graduate Student, Sociology, University of Warwick, UK; David Budtz Pedersen, Co-Director and Research Fellow at the Humanomics Research Centre, University of Copenhagen, and Strategic Adviser to the Danish Ministry of Science, Aarhus University, Denmark; Patrick J. Reider, Instructor, Philosophy, University of Pittsburgh, USA; Francis Remedios, Independent Researcher, Canada; Adam Riggio, Professional Teacher and Writer of Philosophy, Novelist, McMaster University, Canada; Diana Rishani, Research Assistant at United Nations Population Fund, American University Beirut, Lebanon; Gregory Sandstrom, Post-Doctoral Researcher, European Humanities University, Lithuania; Elisabeth Simbürger, Faculty Member, Universidad Valparaíso, Valparaíso de Chile; Miika Vähämaa, Researcher, University of Helsinki, Finland; Mark West, Professor, Mass Communication, University of North Carolina, Asheville, USA; Emilie Whitaker, Doctoral Researcher, University of Birmingham. UK; Pedro Saez Williams, Doctoral Candidate, University of Warwick, UK