How we as a species define ourselves and what we do? We sit down with Aleksandra Knežević and chat about the work to integrate different fields in science and whether anybody is making a genuine attempt to do so. This takes us to questions of what science is and what it does, and how feminist thinkers have helped to improve science as an institution. We also talk about definitions of human nature, what evolutionary psychology can and can't give us, and whether essentialism has anything to offer. 

Show Notes:

1. Integration Across Disciplines: Fostering integration between philosophy, anthropology of science, and feminist philosophy of science. Bridging the gaps between traditionally segregated fields and the value of integrating social studies of science with more conventional philosophies of science.

2. Feminist Philosophy of Science: Applying feminist philosophy of science to understand and critique scientific practices. The integration of social studies of science and the power dynamics and value-laden nature of scientific research.

3. Critique and Defense of Evolutionary Psychology: Evolutionary psychology, dissecting its claims, methodologies, and implications. Defending the field against oversimplifications and misinterpretations, particularly those proliferated by pop science.

4. Conceptual Integration and Scientometrics: The concept of conceptual integration within the sciences, specifically between sociocultural anthropology and evolutionary psychology. Quantitatively analyzing the extent of interdisciplinary references and collaborations, aiming to uncover the dynamics of scientific discourse and funding.

5. Public Understanding and Trust in Science: The public's understanding and trust in science by illuminating how scientific knowledge is produced, contested, and integrated across different fields. Addressing misconceptions about the objectivity of science and showcasing the constructive role of values in scientific inquiry.

6. Critique of Essentialism: Essentialist notions of human nature and gender, highlighting the variability and cultural dependency of traits that challenge reductionist and deterministic interpretations.

7. Societal and Philosophical Implications: The societal and philosophical implications of scientific theories, especially in relation to human nature, gender, and the role of science in reinforcing or challenging existing power structures and societal norms.

8. Nuance and Public Understanding: The desire for more nuanced and integrative approaches within the scientific community and among the public towards understanding human nature, science's role in society, and the interplay between biological and cultural factors.

References

• Helen Longino: philosopher of science, feminist, discussed scientific objectivity

• Judith Butler: philosopher and gender theorist, post-modernist perspective on gender and human nature

• "Sociobiology: The New Synthesis" by Edward O. Wilson

• "The Super-Organic" by Alfred Kroeber

• "How Minds Make Societies" by Pascal Boyer

• "What's Left of Human Nature?" by Maria Kronfeldner

• Franz Boas: anthropologist, argued against evolutionary thinking in anthropology, introduced cultural relativism

• Sarah Hrdy: sociobiologist and feminist

• Clifford Geertz: anthropologist, discussed the scientific method in social sciences