The Semantics of Theories (23-25 June 2016)
Idea and Motivation
Since 1970, no major international conference has been dedicated to the problem of the semantics of theories, even though the problem is of central and fundamental importance in all branches and topics of philosophy of science. The time, therefore, is ripe for such a major conference, bringing together leading proponents and critics of all major schools of thought on the problem. Such a gathering will spur new, innovative approaches to the problem, as well as connecting and invigorating work on existing approaches. It will also provide young researchers with a comprehensive introduction to the state of the art of this central field of research, and established researchers with a comprehensive overview.
Program
Thursday (23 June 2016)
| Time | Topic |
|---|---|
| 09:15 - 09:45 | Coffee and Snacks, Registration |
| 09:45 - 10:00 | Welcome by Stephan Hartmann, Chair and Head of the Munich Center For Mathematical Philosophy |
| 10:00 - 11:15 | Adam Caulton: “A Conservative Approach to the Semantics of Physical Theories” Chair: John Wigglesworth |
| 11:15 - 11:30 | Coffee Break (Coffee only) |
| 11:30 - 12:30 | Robbie Hirsch: “The Semantics of Science: Lessons from Logical Positivism” Chair: Flavia Padovani |
| 12:30 - 13:45 | Lunch (on your own) |
| 13:45 - 14:45 | Andreea Esanu: “The Suppes Predicate for Natural Selection - A Study in the Semantics of Evolutionary Theory in Biology” Chair: Flavia Padovani |
| 14:45 - 15:00 | Coffee Break (Coffee only) |
| 15:00 - 16:15 | Holger Andreas: “Semantic Lessons from Inconsistent Theories” Chair: Milena Ivanova |
| 16:15 - 17:15 | Francesca Biagioli: “Reconsidering the Semantic View of Theories from a Historical Perspective” Chair: Milena Ivanova |
| 17:15 - 17:45 | Coffee and Snacks |
| 17:45 - 19:00 | Hans Halvorson: “The Invariant Content of Equivalent Theories” Chair: Laurenz Hudetz |
Friday (24 June, 2016)
| Time | Topic |
|---|---|
| 09:30 - 10:00 | Coffee and Snacks |
| 10:00 - 11:15 | Emma Ruttkamp-Bloem: “An Adequate Analysis for Theory Structure on an Epistemic Realist Account of Science” Chair: Holger Andreas |
| 11:15 - 11:30 | Coffee Break (Coffee only) |
| 11:30 - 12:30 | Neil Dewar: “What Is It to Interpret a Theory?” Chair: Holger Andreas |
| 12:30 - 13:45 | Lunch (on your own) |
| 13:45 - 14:45 | Richard Healey: “A Pragmatist-Inferentialist Account of the ‘Semantics’ of Quantum Theory” Chair: David Schroeren |
| 14:45 - 15:00 | Coffee Break (Coffee only) |
| 15:00 - 16:15 | Reinhard Muskens: “The Meaning of Theories and the Theory of Meaning” Chair: Collin Rice |
| 16:15 - 17:15 | María Caamaño Alegre: “The Semantics of the Revolution in Geology” Chair: Collin Rice |
| 17:15 - 17:45 | Coffee and Snacks |
| 17:45 - 19:00 | Christopher Pincock: “Scientific Representation without Representationalism” Chair: Alexander Reutlinger |
| 20:00 - 22:00 | Conference Dinner (Osterwaldgarten) |
Saturday (25 June, 2016)
| Time | Topic |
|---|---|
| 09:30 - 10:00 | Coffee and Snacks |
| 10:00 - 11:15 | Sebastian Lutz: “Analyticity and Vagueness in the Semantics of the Received View” Chair: Karolina Krzyżanowska |
| 11:15 - 11:30 | Coffee Break (Coffee only) |
| 11:30 - 12:30 | David Schroeren: “Is the Semantic Content of Scientific Theories Hyperintensional?” Chair: Karolina Krzyżanowska |
| 12:30 - 13:45 | Lunch (on your own) |
| 13:45 - 15:00 | Erik Curiel: “Kinematics, Dynamics, and the Structure of Physical Theories” Chair: Neil Dewar |
| 15:00 - 15:15 | Coffee Break (Coffee only) |
| 15:15 - 16:15 | Laurenz Hudetz: “Theoretical Equivalence and Representational Capacities” Chair: Samuel Fletcher |
| 16:15 - 17:30 | Gerhard Schurz: “Instrumentalist and Realist Interpretations of the Ramsey Sentence of a Theory” Chair: Samuel Fletcher |
| 17:30 - 18:00 | Coffee and Snacks |
Acknowledgement
The conference is funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) and organized by the Munich Center for Mathematical Philosophy (LMU Munich). The MCMP is very grateful to the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation for financial support.
Photo Credits
Header background: Laureà, "Biblioteca". Some right reserved (desaturated from original). Source: www.piqs.de.