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Philosophy Conference Participants Discuss Pragmatic Perspectives on Scientific Inquiry

05/02/2025

The philosophy department at Saint Louis University and its sponsored journal, Res Philosophica, held a two-day conference on April 25-26 on “Pragmatism and Scientific Inquiry.”

The aim for the conference was to bring together philosophers from various stages in their careers to tackle epistemological issues regarding scientific inquiry. Discussants drew upon the pragmatist philosophical tradition, pursuing questions related to the practices and practical stakes involved in scientific research.

Saint Louis University professors William Rehg, S.J., and Kent Staley, Ph.D. talk with University of San Francisco’s David Stump. Stump presented his paper, “Lessons from Pragmatism for Philosophers of Science: Nine Teachings and a Cautionary Tale” on day one of the conference. Submitted photo.

Saint Louis University professors William Rehg, S.J., and Kent Staley, Ph.D. talk with University of San Francisco’s David Stump. Stump presented his paper, “Lessons from Pragmatism for Philosophers of Science: Nine Teachings and a Cautionary Tale” on day one of the conference. Submitted photo.

On Friday, papers were presented on “Pragmatist Measurement and Positive Possibility,” by Holly Andersen; “Lessons from Pragmatism for Philosophers of Science: Nine Teachings and a Cautionary Tale,” by David Stump; “Peace and Pragmatism: Responding to Polarized Science Policy,” by Sharyn Clough; and “Scientific Practice and Radical Naturalism,” which was the keynote Wade Memorial Lecture given by Joseph Rouse.

The following day, presentations were on “Contrasting Visions of Inquiry in an Open Society,” by Sabina Leonelli via Zoom; and “What is Pragmatist about the New ‘Pragmatist’ Philosophy of Science?” by Matthew Brown. The papers will be published in a future issue of Res Philosophica.

Kent Staley, Ph.D. who organized the event, called the conference a success.

“Pragmatism addresses philosophical questions by focusing on what we do and the possibilities for action implicated in the ways we answer questions," Staley said. "It’s a philosophical orientation that by its nature undergoes frequent cycles of renewal and reinvention. This conference really reflected the vitality of current pragmatist thinking in philosophical engagement with the sciences. It was also a great opportunity to bring prominent scholars from all over the country, as well as an international audience online, to St. Louis to engage with our very active community of philosophers of science.”