Toward a Philosophy in Interdisciplinary Research Community

Amid multidimensional challenges such as climate change, global inequality, political instability, and the rise of artificial intelligence, calls for interdisciplinarity are growing louder. In the last decades, fields such as bioethics, environmental philosophy, neurophilosophy, and the philosophy of artificial intelligence have grown substantially, with philosophers often positioning themselves at the intersection of philosophy and other disciplines. This trend  raises important challenges and needs. On the one hand, serious reflection is often lacking on the fundamental epistemological issues raised by the collaboration between philosophy and other disciplines. On the other hand, the intersection of philosophy and other fields poses many challenges for researchers, such as how to: juggle multiple disciplines, combine empirical and theoretical methods, integrate descriptive analysis with normative assessment, balance rigorous conceptual research with creative teamwork, navigate critique formulation and policy advice, and get the best out of the interplay between generalism and specialism. In light of the response of philosophers to these challenges, could we speak of the advent of a “Philosopher 2.0”, who conceives of philosophy as a necessarily interdisciplinary enterprise? And if so, are our academic institutions still fit to accommodate such kind of interdisciplinary research?

 This workshop aims to establish a sustainable community of philosophers doing interdisciplinary research (PIRC), in which philosophers who engage in interdisciplinary research can exchange knowledge, experiences, and support. Our community will provide researchers with a network and a platform to exchange practical knowledge on how to carry out interdisciplinary research, as well as more concrete experiences, challenges, and approaches. This will create opportunities for researchers to learn how to mitigate the potential pitfalls of doing philosophical research in interdisciplinary contexts.