Society for Philosophy of Science in Practice (SPSP) Ninth Biennial Conference
2–4 July 2022 (+pre-conference workshop on 1 July)
Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium

  • Keynote speakers:
    • Karen Barad, University of California at Santa Cruz
    • Till Grüne-Yanoff, Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) Stockholm

The main conference information page is here on the website, but for up-to-date info please make sure you're subscribed to the mailing list that makes up the SPSP (see below).

Abstract submission

On-line submission site for paper or session proposals: https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=spsp2022
Abstract submission deadline: 1 February 2022
Notification of acceptance: 1 March 2022
Main Contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

About the SPSP

The Society for Philosophy of Science in Practice is an interdisciplinary community of scholars who approach the philosophy of science with a focus on scientific practice and the practical uses of scientific knowledge. For further details on our objectives, see our mission statement.

The SPSP conferences provide a broad forum for scholars committed to making detailed and systematic studies of scientific practices — neither dismissing concerns about truth and rationality, nor ignoring contextual and pragmatic factors. The conferences aim at cutting through traditional disciplinary barriers and developing novel approaches. We welcome contributions from not only philosophers of science, but also philosophers working in epistemology and ethics, as well as the philosophy of engineering, technology, medicine, agriculture, and other practical fields. Additionally, we welcome contributions from historians and sociologists of science, pure and applied scientists, and any others with an interest in philosophical questions regarding scientific practice.

SPSP endorses the Barcelona Principles, striving to make the voices of all contributors heard, irrespective of their fluency in English.

Submission formats

SPSP welcomes both proposals for individual papers, and also strongly encourage proposals for whole, thematic sessions with coordinated papers, particularly those which include multiple disciplinary perspectives and/or input from scientific practitioners. You may wish to involve other members of SPSP (a listing is available on our website) or post a notice to the SPSP mailing list describing your area of interest and seeking other possible participants for a session proposal. (To post to this list, or to receive updates on the conference, please subscribe to the mailing list.)

  • Individual paper proposals must include a title and an abstract of 500 words, and full affiliation details and contact information for the author(s)/speaker(s).
  • Session/symposia proposals must include an overall title for the session, a 250-500 words abstract of the session, and a 500-word abstract for each paper (or an equivalent amount of depth and detail, if the format of the proposed session is a less traditional one), and full affiliation details and contact information for each contributor. Session proposals should be submitted as a group by the organizer of the session; typically, 3 standard length or 4 shorter papers can be accommodated within our usual session formats.
  • We also welcome less traditional formats, including panel discussions and author-meet-critics sessions, as long as they explicitly target a broad issue or specific idea as the core of the discussion (rather than ad hominem arguments), are firmly committed to collegial and non-adversarial exchange, and explain why that issue or idea is relevant to SPSP interests.

Individuals should only appear on the program once as presenters, and at most one additional time as commentator or co-author. If in doubt, please contact the organizers in advance about your anticipated submissions.