[PhilPhys] Upcoming Talks - 12/2 Lucy Mason - Methodological Intersubjectivity and 12/5 Armin Schulz - Agency: The Case for an Eliminative Pluralism

[Center for Phil Sci]

The Center for Philosophy of Science at the University of Pittsburgh
invites you to join us for our upcoming lectures in room 1117 on the
11th floor of the Cathedral of Learning at the University of Pittsburgh. If
you are unable to join us in person, all lectures will be live streamed on
YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrRp47ZMXD7NXO3a9Gyh2sg.

Lunch Time Talk - Lucy Mason - https://www.lucymason.co.uk/
<https://www.lucymason.co.uk/>
*Tuesday, December 2nd @ 12:00 pm - 1:30 pm*
This talk will be available online:  Zoom:
https://pitt.zoom.us/j/93490558315
Title: Methodological Intersubjectivity
Abstract:
The practical methodology of performing measurements undoubtedly makes
important contributions to creating intersubjective agreement between
scientific agents. Intersubjectivity has become a question of interest for
understanding relational, perspectival, or agent-based interpretations of
physical theories (such as relativity and quantum mechanics), which face
the challenge of explaining intersubjective coordination between
perspectives. It is hence important to examine what bearing methodological
intersubjectivity has on these issues. I will define methodological
intersubjectivity, drawing on the ideas of intersecting and interlacing
from the perspectival realism literature but applying it to individual
physical perspectives rather than scientific communities. As a case study,
I will apply this definition to time measurements in relativistic theories,
looking at how time measurements are globally coordinated, at how we
construct artificial perspectives, and at the inferences needed to produce
agreed-upon time values. This will highlight the role of agency in creating
intersubjectivity and the difficulties of modelling this within physics.

Lunch Time Talk - Armin Schulz - http://arminwschulz.com/
<http://arminwschulz.com/>
*Friday, December 5th @ 12:00 pm - 1:30 pm*
This talk will be available online:  Zoom:
https://pitt.zoom.us/j/94110795330
Title: Agency: The Case for an Eliminative Pluralism
Abstract:
Concepts of agency are invoked in many different sciences, from
evolutionary biology to computer science and economics. In order to
understand and assess the work in these sciences, therefore, it is crucial
to understand these appeals to “agency.” To make progress in this, this
paper makes the case for three interrelated conclusions. First, the best
way to understand the question about the nature of agency is as an account
that lays out defensible scientific uses of the concept of agency—not a
purely metaphysical-philosophical account, or a purely interpretationist
account. Second, the paper seeks to show that there is not one right answer
about what an agent is—that is, we should be eliminativists about the
general concept of agency. Third, though, it also shows that this should
not be conflated with the view that anything goes as far as agency is
concerned: in specific scientific contexts, such as economics and biology,
there are more and less defensible views of agency in that context. That
is, we should be scientific pluralists about agency.
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