Cognitive Vulnerability (II): Interest, Inquiry, and Asymmetric Knowledge
Scientic Supervisor / Contact Person
Name and Surname
Óscar L. González-Castán
ORCID (link)
Localization & Research Area
Faculty / Institute
Faculty of Philosophy
Department
Logic and Theoretical Philosophy
Research Area
Social Sciences and Humanities (SOC)
MSCA & ERC experience
Research group / research team hosted any MSCA fellow?
No
Research group / research team have any ERC beneficiaries?
No
Research Team & Research Topic
Research Team / Research Group Name (if any)
Cognitive Vulnerability (II): Interest, Inquiry, and Asymmetric Knowledge
Website of the Research team / Research Group / Department
Brief description of the Research Team / Research Group / Department
MEMBERS OF THE RESEARCH PROJECT
Principal Investigator: Óscar L. González-Castán, Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM)
Research Team:
Ángeles Jiménez Perona (UCM)
Ángel Manuel Faerna (Universidad Castilla-La Mancha)
Modesto Gómez (Universidad de Sevilla)
Working Team:
Timothy Williamson (University of Oxford, UK)
J. Adam Carter (University of Glasgow, UK)
Jennifer Saul (Universtiy of Waterloo, Canada)
Mayte Muñoz (UNAM, México)
Principal Investigator: Óscar L. González-Castán, Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM)
Research Team:
Ángeles Jiménez Perona (UCM)
Ángel Manuel Faerna (Universidad Castilla-La Mancha)
Modesto Gómez (Universidad de Sevilla)
Working Team:
Timothy Williamson (University of Oxford, UK)
J. Adam Carter (University of Glasgow, UK)
Jennifer Saul (Universtiy of Waterloo, Canada)
Mayte Muñoz (UNAM, México)
Research lines / projects proposed
The aim of this project is to provide new conceptual tools, based on the notion of cognitive vulnerability, to understand the relationship between interest and knowledge. To this aim, it is essential to study the intermediary role that scientific research plays between the two and its practical consequences.
Interest can be involved in inquiry in two ways: (i) as scientists’ interest in the epistemic objectives of research, and (ii) as the interest that safeguards the status and ideas of individual scientists and scientific communities. In this second case, interest is normally understood negatively as the propensity to give anticipated validity to certain results before investigating their epistemic strengths. Depending on how interest is understood, the epistemological assessment of scientific inquiry and its conclusions will vary accordingly.
When interest is understood as interest in the results of specialized scientific research, we do not tend to adopt an attitude of radical distrust towards them, although it is always reasonable to maintain epistemic precautions because they are subject to possible errors and uncertainties, although not necessarily. The duality between the possibility of error and the possibility of epistemic success is characteristic of our epistemic vulnerability. However, when interest is understood as interest in safeguarding those research results that advance previous group or personal interests, then the conclusions reached are suspicious and tend to be epistemically equated with any other belief about which other individuals are also interested.
In the first case, it is considered that there is epistemic asymmetry between those who actively participate in scientific inquiry and those who do not. In the second, this asymmetry is not recognized, since it is accepted that there is only a deep conflict of interests behind the position of each epistemic agent. The result is that the epistemically vulnerable conclusions of scientific research are easily questioned, not because of their possible fallibilism, but because they are only a way to legitimize hidden individual and group interests. And everyone is within their democratic right to accept as valid only those ideas that help to maintain their own beliefs, or to reject those that oppose it. It is simply a matter of serving different interests.
The motto of this project is that although there is no scientific knowledge without inquiry, and inquiry without interest, both in senses (i), and (ii), this does not mean that the temporal conclusions of well-conducted research are to be reduced to a mere "interested" interest.
The starting hypothesis is that our interests could contribute either to reduce or enhance our epistemic vulnerability and that there are socially institutionalized and critical mechanism to lessen it.
The research is structured around five specific objectives: (i) interests that favour and inhibit proper research; (ii) research and epistemic vulnerability; (iii) interests, pseudo-research, and evidence; (iv) epistemic vulnerability and argumentation in the dialogue between science and society; (v) political and social consequences of epistemic vulnerability and asymmetric knowledge.
Interest can be involved in inquiry in two ways: (i) as scientists’ interest in the epistemic objectives of research, and (ii) as the interest that safeguards the status and ideas of individual scientists and scientific communities. In this second case, interest is normally understood negatively as the propensity to give anticipated validity to certain results before investigating their epistemic strengths. Depending on how interest is understood, the epistemological assessment of scientific inquiry and its conclusions will vary accordingly.
When interest is understood as interest in the results of specialized scientific research, we do not tend to adopt an attitude of radical distrust towards them, although it is always reasonable to maintain epistemic precautions because they are subject to possible errors and uncertainties, although not necessarily. The duality between the possibility of error and the possibility of epistemic success is characteristic of our epistemic vulnerability. However, when interest is understood as interest in safeguarding those research results that advance previous group or personal interests, then the conclusions reached are suspicious and tend to be epistemically equated with any other belief about which other individuals are also interested.
In the first case, it is considered that there is epistemic asymmetry between those who actively participate in scientific inquiry and those who do not. In the second, this asymmetry is not recognized, since it is accepted that there is only a deep conflict of interests behind the position of each epistemic agent. The result is that the epistemically vulnerable conclusions of scientific research are easily questioned, not because of their possible fallibilism, but because they are only a way to legitimize hidden individual and group interests. And everyone is within their democratic right to accept as valid only those ideas that help to maintain their own beliefs, or to reject those that oppose it. It is simply a matter of serving different interests.
The motto of this project is that although there is no scientific knowledge without inquiry, and inquiry without interest, both in senses (i), and (ii), this does not mean that the temporal conclusions of well-conducted research are to be reduced to a mere "interested" interest.
The starting hypothesis is that our interests could contribute either to reduce or enhance our epistemic vulnerability and that there are socially institutionalized and critical mechanism to lessen it.
The research is structured around five specific objectives: (i) interests that favour and inhibit proper research; (ii) research and epistemic vulnerability; (iii) interests, pseudo-research, and evidence; (iv) epistemic vulnerability and argumentation in the dialogue between science and society; (v) political and social consequences of epistemic vulnerability and asymmetric knowledge.
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