Science philosophers claim value-free science is an illusion. Because even in science, norms and values play an important role and people look for knowledge that can help them lead a good or better life. But where do we draw the line between applied science and religious, political or economic abuse? This conference will discuss the smoke screens of contemporary science.
When does the interplay between science and industry tip over to a sell-out of patented knowledge in the interest of the market or the banking system? Are political agendas at play in the apparently innocent and generous Wikipedia? To what extent is academic activity subject to promised pot of gold at the end of the investment rainbow? And finally, which ideological worldviews does the popularisation of paradigms of neuroscience and bioscience want to sell us?
With: John Dupré (Biology, University of Exeter, UK), Dany Nobus (Psychology, Brunel University, London), Sigrid Sterckx (Ethics, UGent, Department of Philosophy and Moral Sciences), Rik Pinxten (Cultural Studies, UGent, Centre for Intercultural Communication and Interaction) and Esther-Mirjam Sent (Economics, Nijmegen University).
