Subject: annoucement for newsletter Date: Sat, 8 May 1999 15:58:50 +0200 From: "patricia morales" <[log in to unmask]> Rene von Schomberg Book announcement by the editor: _Democratising Technology-Theory and Practice of Deliberative Technology Policy_, Edited by Rene von Schomberg, published by the International Centre for Human and Public Affairs (ICHPA), Hengelo, The Netherlands, 125 pages. ISBN 90-802139-6-9, 19,90 US dollar, order by fax +31-74-2918697 Book description: With this volume a range of international authors contributes to an ongoing debate on the conceptual and practical development of a deliberative technology policy. Such a technology policy should bring the realm of technological innovation within the scope of democratic decision making. Deliberative technology policy seeks the right balance between direct public participation which contributes to the legitimacy of the policy process whereas the quality of the policy process should be safeguarded by an appropriate mediation of science and policy by experts. Table of Contents Introduction 1. Escaping the iron cage, or, subversive rationalization and democratic theory, by Andrew Feenberg (San Diego, State University) 2. Design Criteria and political strategies for democratising technology, by Richard E. Sclove (Loka Institute) 3. Why the public should participate in technical decision making, by Carl Mitcham, (Penn State University) 4. Democratizing technology or technologizing democracy- the case of agricultural biotechnology in Europe, by Les Levidow (Open University, England) 5. Environmental research between knowledge and organisation, G. Bechmann (Institute for Systems analysis, Karlsruhe, Germany) 6. Technology Assessment in a deliberative perspective, by Ole Brekke and E. Erikson (Bergen, Norway) ----------------- Subject: CFP: Philosophy and Biodiversity From: [log in to unmask] Date: Friday, May 07, 1999 6:24 PM CALL FOR PAPERS PHILOSOPHY AND BIODIVERSITY International Seminar at University of Turku, Finland August 20-21, 1999. The seminar Philosophy and Biodiversity will focus on two related research areas: the philosophical analysis of the concept of biodiversity and the ethics of biodiversity preservation. According to the Rio Convention on Biodiversity the concept of biodiversity refers to the variability among living organisms and the physical environments of which they are part, and it includes the diversity within species, between species and of ecosystems. The philosophical interest in the phenomenon of multiplicity of biological kinds is almost as old as the philosophical activity in itself. The Greek philosophers reflected on such question as 'Why are there so many kinds?', 'What is the relation of a kind to its individual representatives?' and 'Are these kinds arranged in systematic ways?' Some of their constructions are topical as ever. Plato, says Arthur Lovejoy in his acclaimed The Great Chain of Being, was the first to defend the so called Principle of Plenitude according to which "the world is the better, the more things it contains." The present worldwide attention to biodiversity seems to subscribe to the same idea: we should do our best not to diminish the multiplicity of life forms which have generated from the evolutionary processes on Earth. Whereas the extinction of a kind for a Greek philosopher was something of an impossibility, our perception of the natural world is quite different: the species are disappearing to such a rate that exceeds the rate of evolutionary diversification. The recent realisation of this fact has put the issue of biodiversity preservation in global political agenda, and thus far the most significant manifestation of this concern has been the UN Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. In general, the notion of biodiversity is logically linked to the idea that we can recognise and identify different kinds of species, subspecies and habitats and their mutual relationships. How exactly should we construct the idea of biodiversity? What are the basic units of biodiversity? Is there some kind of correlation between diversity and stability? What is the significance of the ancient philosophical ideas to modern philosophy of nature? What is the relevance of Plato's, and other Greek philosophers', ideas concerning our understanding of natural diversity? The understanding of the nature of biodiversity phenomenon is essential to the formation of reasonable environmental policies. Ethically, the preservation of biological diversity raises many questions that seem to require different answers as compared to answers usually given in environmental ethics. The first preservationist aims from the nineteenth century were based on perceptions that certain species were at the brink of extinction due to extensive human use: the use exceeded the rates of reproduction. It was quite common to response to the problem by prohibiting the hunting, fishing or trapping of the endangered species. The standard view of species preservation professes banning the trade with the endangered species (CITES, the U.N. Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species). A recent example of this policy is the banning of any import or export of African elephants, including their products such as ivory. The critics of this policy have pointed out that it made management and grazing of elephant populations impossible: those nations who could manage elephants successfully lost an incentive to do so. Similarly, in respect to the special nature sites, the so called "Yellowstone model" was influential. It favours parks in which settlement is prohibited, and subsistence and commercial uses of natural resources are banned. The wilderness ideology is widely criticised for various reasons. There are doubts over the existence of such a thing as wilderness. It has questioned for political reasons: can people be prohibited from using the resources they are accustomed to use? Positive arguments have been put forward by indicating empirically that the highest levels of biological diversity are often found in areas with some (though not excessive) human intervention. Some has doubted that it makes it impossible to try to bridge the gap between use and preservation. Furthermore, the model increases the resource use pressures elsewhere. The alternative is that conservation should occur through use of environmental goods and services. Thus the slogan 'Use it, or lose it'. Is there an "anthropocentric turn" in environmental ethics and conservation policies, a move from banning the use to rational use which have been brought in with the notion of biodiversity? And a number of other questions follow: When the use of natural resources is a threat to the stability of ecological systems? How should the contradiction between individual welfare and the good of the whole in wildlife management be resolved? What is the role of institutional solutions to biodiversity? The purpose of the seminar Philosophy and Biodiversity is to shed light on the phenomenon of biodiversity by creating a forum for a debate among philosophers and other researchers interested in conceptual and ethical issues of biodiversity. The seminar will consist partly of joint sessions with invited keynote speakers, and partly of parallel sessions with paper presentations. Keynote speakers: * Prof. Robin Attfield (University of Wales, Cardiff): Differentiated Responsibilities * Prof. Dieter Birnbacher (Universität Düsseldorf): Primary value and the problem of the replaceability of biological species * Dr. Keekok Lee (University of Manchester): There is biodiversity and biodiversity: their implication for environmental philosophy * Prof. Bryan G. Norton (Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta): Can There be a Universal Earth Ethic? * Dr. Kate Rawles (Lancaster University): Conservation and Animal Welfare * Prof. Michael Ruse (University of Guelph): Biodiversity: Definitions and Meanings We invite all interested scholars to send proposal for papers to be presented at workshops. Abstracts (max 400 words) should be sent in paper or e-mail to the following address: Markku Oksanen Department of Philosophy University of Turku 20014 TURKU Finland Tel: +358-2-333-6336 Fax: +358-2-333-6270 email: [log in to unmask] The registration fee is 500 FIM. (Further information about the payment of registration fee will be sent upon registration by ordinary mail.) It includes refreshments, lunches on Friday and Saturday, and the conference dinner. Participants are supposed to take care of their personal travel and accomodation costs. We are also planning a nature conservation trip to a nearby national park, or a cruising to the Turku archipelago, for Sunday. The seminar is arranged by Professor Juhani Pietarinen and Dr. Markku Oksanen, both from the Department of Philosophy at University of Turku, in collaboration with the Finnish Biodiversity Research Programme FIBRE (http://fibre.utu.fi). ------------------- REMINDER: Call for Papers Abstracts due by email May 17, or postmarked by May 14. Mid-Atlantic Conference in the History of Science, Medicine, and Technology A conference by and for graduate students interested in the history of science, broadly understood. University of Pennsylvania, August 6-8, 1999 Dear Colleagues: We in the History and Sociology of Science Department at the University of Pennsylvania invite you to join us at a conference of graduate students interested in the history of science, medicine, and technology. The purpose of this conference is to foster collegial interaction among the graduate students of the many fine programs in the history of science (broadly understood) in this region, and to provide a forum for constructive and supportive critique of each other's work. To encourage social as well as scholarly interaction, MAC will open on Friday, August 6 with a welcoming reception for attendees. Saturday, August 7, and the morning of Sunday, August 8, will be devoted to paper presentations and "working sessions" of pre-circulated works longer than the typical conference paper, such as articles-to-be or dissertation chapters. Paper presentations will be 20-25 minutes. Each "working session" will be one hour, and will consist of a 20-30 minute presentation by the author with the remainder of the time devoted to discussion. Following the precedent established by the 1998 MAC organizers at Johns Hopkins University, we will strive to make this conference as productive and as inexpensive as possible for all participants. We will make an effort to house attendees with local graduate students, and some meals will be provided. DEADLINES: Abstracts of no more than 300 words (for a paper presentation) or no more than 500 words (for a working session) may be submitted electronically to: [log in to unmask] or by mail to: A. Wolfe Mid-Atlantic Conference Organizing Committee History and Sociology of Science Department University of Pennsylvania 249 S. 36th St., Logan 303 Philadelphia, PA 19104-6304. ABSTRACTS SHOULD BE POSTMARKED BY MAY 14, or emailed by Monday, May 17. Please specify "paper" or "working session." For more information and the program for MAC '98, see our website at: http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/hss/home/hm_mac.htm