Simulations of Scientific Inquiry

• Applicant: Dr. Dunja Seselja, since 8/2022
• Subject Area: Theoretical Philosophy
• Term: since 2019
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 426833574

Computational modeling in the form of agent-based models (ABMs) has become an increasingly popular method of investigating social aspects of scientific inquiry: from opinion dynamics, to efficient communication structures, to the division of cognitive labor, to argumentation strategies, etc. At the same time, the development of ABMs of science has been largely fragmented. On the one hand, the majority of ABMs are developed independently of one another, even when targeting the same research question. On the other hand, what we lack is a widely agreed-upon methodology of ABMs, specifying how they should be constructed and validated. Moreover, what exactly we can learn from ABMs and what kind of explanations they offer has been controversially discussed in philosophy and beyond. In light of these issues, the field of agent-based modeling in philosophy of science and social epistemology would greatly benefit from joint investigations, discussions and direct collaborations. The aim of this research network is precisely to provide a platform to this end, focusing on three topical units:1. Epistemology of agent-based modeling: what can we learn from ABMs?2. Methodology of agent-based modeling: towards robust and empirically validated results.3. Towards an integrative practice: from novel applications to novel interpretations.The network will organize three workshops and one final conference over the course of two years. A collection of publications will be submitted to a special issue of one of the central journals in philosophy of science.

• DFG Programme: Scientific Networks
• Ehemaliger Antragsteller: Rush Stewart, Ph.D., from 11/2019 until 8/2022