Alison Wylie (Philosophy and Anthropology, University of Washington) Website

James Bohman (Philosophy, St. Louis University)

Paul Roth (Philosophy, University of California Santa Cruz)

The Philosophy of Social Science Roundtable brings together an intellectually diverse and international community of philosophers and social scientists who share an interest in philosophical questions that arise in, and about, the social sciences. It is a forum for discussing foundational questions in social theory, epistemological issues raised by the models of explanation and canons of evidence characteristic of the social sciences, and the ethical and political problems distinctive of research involving human, social subjects.

March 7-9, 2008
University of Washington, Seattle

Printer-friendly conference program (pdf)
Presentation abstracts (pdf)

Conference sessions will be held in the Simpson Center for the Humanities (Communications 202). Keynote addresses will be in nearby classrooms in the Communications Building (as indicated below).

12:30-4:30: Stereotypes, Prejudice, and the Analysis of Race and Gender

Chair: James Bohman (Saint Louis University)

Bryce Huebner (UNC-Chapel Hill): "The Trouble With Stereotypes for Our Spinozan Psychology"

Luc Faucher (Université du Québec à Montréal) and Edouard Machery (Pittsburgh University): "The 'Psychological Pluralism' of Racial Prejudice"

Ann E. Cudd (University of Kansas): "The Clinical Conceit: Locating the Causal Antecedents of Domestic Violence"

Iris Mendel (University of Vienna and York University): "Epistemologies of Resistance: Feminist and Postcolonial Challenges"

5:00-6:30:  Keynote speaker – Charles Mills (Northwestern University): "White Ignorance"
Location: Communications 120
Chair: Alison Wylie (University of Washington)

7:00:  Local Host Dinner (RSVP Required)

9:00-12:00: Agency and Action

Chair: Kareem Khalifa (Middlebury)

Randall Harp (University of Vermont): "A Rational Choice Model of Intentions"

Jessica Heineman-Pieper (George Mason University): "Persons as Agents and Objects of Social Science"

Warren Schmaus (Illinois Institute of Technology): "Reconceptualizing the Social Situatedness of Epistemic Agents"

12:00-1:00: lunch

1:00-5:00: Inferring Causes / Causal Explanation

Chair: Carole J. Lee (Holyoke)

Erik Angner (University of Alabama, Birmingham): "The Foundations of Behavioral Welfare Economics"

Julian Reiss (Erasmus University, Rotterdam): "Causation in the Social Sciences: An Evidentialist Perspective"

Damien Fennell (London School of Economics): "Analysing the Rational Use of Formal Methods of Inference in the Special Sciences"

Margaret Schabas (University of British Columbia): "The Economy as an Epistemic Object"

5:30 -7:00: Keynote Speaker – Nancy Cartwright (London School of Economics and University of California San Diego): "Hunting Causes and Using Them"
Location: Communications 226
Chair: Paul Roth (University of California Santa Cruz)

9:00-1:00: Norms and Analysis

Chair: James Bohman (Saint Louis University)

Jerry Doppelt (Univerisity of California San Diego) and John Berteaux (Monterey Bay): "The Place of Self-Respect in a Theory of Social Justice"

Leah McClimans (University of South Carolina): "Understanding Patient-Reported Outcomes"

Mario Wenning (University of Puerto Rico): "Critical Social Theory as a Normative Theory without Norms"

 

 Nancy Cartwright
(Philosophy and Center for Philosophy of Social & Natural Science, London School of Economics and Philosophy, University of California San Diego)

"Evidence Based Policy: What's Evidence?"
Thursday, March 6, 6:30 pm
Kane Hall, Room 120
Walker Ames Lecture Series sponsored by The Graduate School and the Department of Philosophy at the University of Washington.

"Hunting Causes and Using Them"
Saturday, March 8
Communications 226
Roundtable Keynote

Science Studies Network Colloquium
Monday, March 10

 Charles Mills
(Philosophy, Northwestern University)

"White Ignorance"
Friday, March 7
Communications 120
Roundtable keynote

Register for the Roundtable

Registration for the Philosophy of Social Science Roundtable is now closed. However, keynote addresses are both free and open to the public (no registration required).

Watertown Hotel
4242 Roosevelt Way NE
Seattle, WA 98105
Phone: (206) 826-4242
Toll-free: (866) 944-4242
Fax: (206) 315-4242
Email • Website

A block of rooms at the Watertown will be held for Roundtable participants until February 4, 2008. The conference room rate is $145/night. This hotel is in the University District, easy walking distance from the Simpson Center for the Humanities, where Roundtable sessions will be held.

Participants should make individual reservations directly with the Watertown by phone, fax, email, or online. Reserve early. To get the conference rate, be sure to say that you want a room in the "Social Science Round Table" room block. If you reserve online, click on "Group Reservations."

College Inn
4000 University Way NE
Seattle, WA 98105
Phone: (206) 633-4441
Fax: (206) 547-1335
Email • Website

Rooms at this University District hotel are available for rates ranging from $50.00 (twin bed single) to $85 (two double beds). Please contact the hotel directly. There are no conference rates or group bookings available.

If you prefer to stay elsewhere, several other accomodations are listed in the guide to local hotels below.

UW campus map
Transportation information (pdf)
Local restaurants (pdf)
Local hotels (pdf)
Seattle visitors' guide (pdf)