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EPSA Newsletter 2013 EPSA Newsletter Vol. II, Issue 1 August 2013 Editor: Friedrich Stadler | Assistant Editor: Daniel Kuby SPECIAL EPSA13 HELSINKI EDITION Editorial TABLE OF CONTENTS Friedrich Stadler Editorial Friedrich Stadler 1 Dear members and colleagues, The Finnish Tradition of Philosophy of Science Ilkka Niiniluoto 3 On the occasion of the 4th Conference of the European Philosophy of Science Association in Helsinki, August 28-31, 2013, we are pleased to publicize the Welcome Address already third issue of our electronic EPSA Newsletter. Given the venue of the Uskali Mäki 8 conference it is mainly dealing with philosophy of science in Finland, which is a remarkable success story since the pioneering Eino Kaila for a smaller coun- EPSA Women’s Caucus: A Report try at the margins of Europe. In this regard we are pleased that Jaakko Hin- Kristina Rolin 10 tikka will also take part as a speaker in this event. Report on One of the contemporary prominent proponents of philosophy of science, GWP.2013 Ilkka Niiniluoto, the former Rector and Chancellor of the University of Hel- Holger Lyre 11 sinki in the last decade, provided a report on the origins and development of Report on Activities philosophy of science in Finland, where in 2015 also the 15th Congress of the of the Dutch Society International Union in History and Philosophy of Science/Division of Logic, for the Philosophy of Methodology and Philosophy of Science (IUHPS/DLMPS) will be organised. A Science report by Uskali Mäki, the chair of the Local Organising Committee on behalf F. A . M u l l e r 13 of the University of Helsinki and the Centre of Excellence in the Philosophy of the Social Sciences (TINT) complements this focus appropriately. In addition, A Note from the Publisher Springer we are pleased that EPSA Women's Caucus is taking place the second time in Ties Nijssen 14 Helsinki after Athens, on which Kristina Rolin contributed an informative account. Another sign for a flourishing research field is the establishment of national societies in the philosophy of science, which EPSA wants to support scholarly and connect with similar initiatives. Therefore, it is most appropriate to in- clude a report by Holger Lyre on the founding of the German Society for Phi- losophy of Science as a most recent event in this research field. This seems to 1. PAGE (OF 14) ◆ Stadler, Friedrich: “Editorial”, epsa-Newsletter Vol. 2, No. 1, © 2013, pp. 1–2.! www.epsa.ac.at/newsletter/ EDITORIAL Friedrich Stadler me not by accident given the strong Lecture in the Philosophy of Science" to all members who have contributed presence of several centers and de- 2013. to our joint scholarly enterprise with partments, e.g., in Munich, Bielefeld, the vision of a renewed and innova- Konstanz, Hanover, and Düsseldorf, The EPSA Newsletter is conceived of tive philosophy of science in Europe the latter pleasingly applying for the as a service for our members and will covering all scientific disciplines next EPSA conference in 2015. We be available also in a printable PDF- from an historical and systematic very much hope for similar devel- format as usual accessible on our point of view. opments also in other European website www.epsa.ac.at/newsletter/, countries, as is the case in the Neth- where the last issues are still stored Special thanks go to Karoly Kokai, erlands, on which we received a for further information on past EPSA the secretary of the EPSA main office short note on the related activities by activities. It is hoped that this forum at the Institute Vienna Circle, as well Fred Muller. will be extended in the future to a as to Daniel Kuby and Christoph permanent medium for discussions, Limbeck-Lilienau for their help re- An important manifestation of EPSA announcements, and reviews related garding the EPSA Newsletter and activities besides its biennial confer- to philosophy of science in Europe, Folder. ences are the publications of the con- which, of course, is dependent on the ference proceedings (of which the welcome contributions of our mem- Enjoy the forthcoming conference in last volume of the Athens conference bers. Together with the forthcoming the beautiful city of Helsinki and let just appeared thanks to the efforts of EPSA Folder to be updated after the us continue with the cooperation and its editors Vassilios Karakostas and Helsinki conference with reference communication in the exciting and Dennis Dieks) and the periodical to the new elected Steering Commit- promising research field philosophy European Journal for Philosophy of tee, membership policy, and publica- of science. Science (EJPS), which is available in tions, the communication will cer- the meantime already with its 3rd tainly be strengthened. Friedrich Stadler volume comprising 8 issues. EPSA (President of EPSA) will also continue the successful ESF As an outgoing President I want to Research Network Program "The express my pleasure and honour to Philosophy of Science in Europe" have served for the European phi- (2008–2013) on the level of a book losophy of science community in the series, to be published intermedi- hope of having provided a solid basis ately to the biennial proceeding of for a successful future of EPSA. In our conferences. (www.pse-esf.org) this regard I want to thank all past A brief information is contributed by and present members of the Steering Ties Nijssen, the representative of Committees, Program and Nomina- our publisher Springer, who is pleas- tion Committees, chairs, conference ingly sponsoring again one of the organisers and editors of our publi- plenary lectures as the "Springer cations for their efforts, last not least ABOUT THE AUTHOR Friedrich Stadler is Professor of History and Philosophy of Science (Joint Appointment) at the University of Vienna, Austria and Director of the Institute Vienna Circle (IVC). He holds a D.Phil. in history and philosophy (University of Salzburg). He has published on various topics in modern history and philosophy of science, with a focus on Logical Empiricism in the context of intellectual migration and exile studies, theory and methodology of contempo- rary history and historiography. He has been President of EPSA 2009-2013. Personal Website: http://www.univie.ac.at/ivc/stadler/ 2. PAGE (OF 14) ! EPSA Newsletter Vol. II, Issue 1 August 2013 Editor: Friedrich Stadler | Assistant Editor: Daniel Kuby The Finnish Tradition of important intellectual trends like first textbooks on logic and psychol- Philosophy of Science scholastic and Ramistic logic, Carte- ogy in Finnish in the 1880s. His logic sianism, Bacon´s experimental includes classical ideas about the Ilkka Niiniluoto methods, Locke’s empiricism, scientific method. Rein’s work as Wolff’s rationalism, and Kant’s tran- professor of Theoretical Philosophy scendental idealism. was continued in 1905 by his nephew Arvi Grotenfelt, a specialist in Ger- Logic has a long academic tradition In 1809 Finland was separated from man neo-Kantian philosophy of his- in Finland as a subfield of Theoreti- Sweden to become a Grand Duchy of tory, influenced by the method of cal Philosophy. Logicians have al- the Russian empire, and in 1828 the Verstehen. Edward Westermarck, ways had an interest in the scientific Academy was moved to the new who was at the same time professor method, but the study of the phi- capital Helsinki. The Imperial Alex- of Practical Philosophy in Helsinki losophy of science in the modern ander University in Helsinki adopted and professor of Sociology at the sense was started in Finland in the the Humboldtian model of university London School of Economics, stud- 1920s by Eino Kaila. In the 1950s his education. This period was domi- ied the origins and evolution of successful students made Helsinki nated by Hegel’s doctrines, with Jo- moral ideas along the lines of British an important centre of analytic phi- han Vilhelm Snellman as the main empiricism and naturalism. losophy, philosophical logic, phi- representative. His 1842 theory of losophy of language, and philosophy the state, based upon Hegelian prin- In 1917 Finland gained its independ- of science. This work has now been ciples, provided a theoretical foun- ence, and the Philosophical Society vigorously continued by several gen- dation to the national awakening of of Finland (chaired by Grotenfelt) erations. Finland. In 1852 all chairs in phi- started to publish its yearbook with losophy in the Russian empire were the title Ajatus (“Thought”) in 1926 Historical Background closed as politically dangerous, and and a monograph series Acta Philo- in 1856 Snellman was invited to the sophica Fennica in 1935. When the first university in Finland renamed chair of “ethics and the sys- was established in 1640 as the Royal tem of the sciences”. Eino Kaila’s Logical Empiricism Academy of Turku, its Faculty of Arts had two chairs in Philosophy: As the only professor in philosophy Eino Kaila, who wrote his doctoral Theoretical (teaching logic and in Finland, Snellman was succeeded dissertation in experimental psy- metaphysics) and Practical (teaching in 1869 by his student Thiodolf Rein. chology in 1916, had broad interests ethics and politics). Thereby the He founded in 1873 the Philosophi- in philosophy. His early essays are learned community, in spite of its cal Society of Finland, and wrote the critical reviews of Haeckel, Bergson, lack of originality, was able to follow 3. PAGE (OF 14) ◆ Niiniluoto, Ilkka: “The Finnish Tradition of Philosophy of Science”, epsa-Newsletter Vol. 2, No. 1, © 2013, pp. 3–7.! www.epsa.ac.at/newsletter/ THE FINNISH TRADITION IN THE PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE Ilkka Niiniluoto and James. In 1920 he argued, ticipant in the international confer- formulating a realist and compre- against vitalism, that mental life is a ences of the unity of science. As pro- hensive world outlook on the basis of biological phenomenon.
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