2nd Reichenbach Conference
November 7 – 9, 2003
"Fashioning
a Mechanistic Philosophy of Science."
Department
of Philosophy & Philosophy-Neuroscience-Psychology
Program
Washington University in St. Louis, MO
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS/SPEAKERS **Please make note of new changes**
This conference is intended to promote interaction among scholars
doing historical and philosophical work on mechanisms and the mechanical philosophy.
What are mechanisms, and how have they been understood in different sciences
at different times? To what extent and in what ways are mechanical explanations
distinctive from other sorts of explanation? How are mechanisms related to more
familiar notions of "cause" and "laws"? How does the search
for mechanisms guide and constrain the practices of science? Do we have good
reason to believe that ours is a world of mechanisms? By what evidence can one
reliably make inferences about mechanisms? This conference has been designed
to encourage interaction among historical, philosophical, and scientific perspectives.
Reichenbach Conference Schedule
Thursday Evening
7PM Speaker's Dinner (Meet in Hotel Lobby)
Friday, November 7
9AM Welcome and Conference Introduction (Craver)
SESSION I: Mechanism in Historical Perspective. (located in Lambert Lounge, 3rd floor of Mallincrodt)
9:15 Dennis
DesChene- Professor of Philosophy, Washington
University
"Mechanism after Descartes: Living Things in Later Cartesians and
in Leibniz."
10:15 Coffee
10:30 Garland
Allen - Professor of Biology, Washington University
"Mechanism and Mechanistic Materialism in Early 20th Century Biology:
The Context of the 'Mechanism-Vitalism' Debates"
11:30 Andrea
Woody- Assistant Professor of Philosophy, University
of Washington
"Are Mechanisms an Integral Part of Chemical Theory?"
12:30 Lunch
SESSION II: Mechanisms, Laws and Causation. (located in Psychology Bldg., Rm 216 A & B)
1:30 James
Bogen- Fellow, Center for Philosophy of Science,
University of Pittsburgh
"Mechanistic Explanation: What's Generalization
Got to Do With It?"
2:30 Coffee
2:45 Peter
Machamer -Primary Faculty, History and Philosophy
of Science, University of Pittsburgh
"Mechanisms, Productivity and
Information" To read this paper, click
here.
3:45 Coffee
4:00 Clark
Glymour- Alumni University Professor of Philosophy,
Carnegie Mellon University
"Brain Imaging, Averaging,
and the Evidence of Mechanisms"
Saturday, November 8
SESSION III: Explanation, Levels, and Interfield Integration. (located in Psychology Bldg., Rm 216 A & B)
9:00 Lindley
Darden- Professor of Philosophy, University of
Maryland
"Discovering Mechanisms"
10:00 Coffee
10:15 Carl
Craver- Assistant Professor of Philosophy &
PNP Program, Washington University
"Of Layercakes and Learning Mechanisms:
Some Constraints on a Metaphysics of Levels"
11:15 Coffee
11:30 William
Wimsatt- Professor of Philosophy, University
of Chicago
"Mechanisms, Stability, and Contingent
Order: Exploring the Domain and Limits of Mechanistic Explanation"
12:30 Lunch
SESSION IV: Mechanisms, Time and Persistence. (located in Psychology Bldg.,
Rm 216 A & B)
1:30 Stuart
Glennan- Associate Professor of Philosophy, Butler
University
"Ephemeral Mechanisms"
2:30 Coffee
2:45 William
Bechtel- Professor of Philosophy, University
of California, San Diego
"Autonomy and Accommodation"
3:45 Coffee Break
SESSION V: Mechanisms and Mind.
4:00 Gualtiero
Piccinini - Post
Doctoral Fellow, Washington University
"Computing Mechanisms" To
read this paper, click here.
5:00 Panel Discussion: Directions of Future Work on
Mechanisms and the Mechanical Philosophy.
***All conference speakers will particpipate in a panel discussion concerning
directions of future work (historical, philosophical and scientific) on mechanisms
and the mechanical philosophy.***
6:00 Cocktail Reception
7:30 Dinner Buffet (will include vegetarian and vegan items)
Sunday, November 9
Free day...
REGISTRATION FEE: waived for
all participants!
(***PLEASE email Kimberly to register,
click here for registration information
needed.)
There are coffee breaks, Saturday night cocktail hour and Taste of St. Louis
style buffet. Vegan and vegetarian options will be available. If you plan on
attending Saturday night's buffet, please let us know if you are vegan, vegetarian
or omnivorous.
HOTEL INFORMATION:
Accommodations are set up with the Radisson
Hotel in Clayton, MO. Rooms are $105, reservations must be made by Oct.
7, 2003 to receive Washington University rate. Please call the Radisson for
reservations: 314-726-5400, toll-free at 888-870-6556 and request rooms under
the "Wash. U. Philosophy" group block.
TRANSPORTATION INFORMATION:
Transportation from the airport to the Radisson Hotel is available through the
Radisson Shuttle between 7:00 a.m. until 9:30 p.m. A courtesy phone marked "Radisson"
near the luggage carousels will allow you to call for your ride during these
times free of charge. Typically, they run on the hour.
Transportation from the Radisson to Washington University will also be by the Radisson shuttle; and will be set at a pre-arranged time each day. Any other transportation outside of the university, will be based on availability through the Radisson.
For further information/reservation please contact:
Carl Craver: ccraver@artsci.wustl.edu
or Kimberly Mount: kmount@artsci.wustl.edu,
please mention Reichenbach Conference in the subject line.
CAMPUS MAP(you
will need Shockwave to view map)
ADDITIONAL LINKS: