Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin - Klassische Deutsche Philosophie

Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin | Institut für Philosophie | Klassische Deutsche Philosophie | Veranstaltungen | Workshop: Thought Experiments, Modal Knowledge, and Counterfactuals

Workshop: Thought Experiments, Modal Knowledge, and Counterfactuals

 
In philosophy, claims of knowledge are often based on considering non-actual scenarios. But it is not so clear what explains and justifies such practices. Opposing the traditional view that the knowledge at stake is conceptual or based on rational intuitions, Timothy Williamson has come up with a revolutionary proposal: both modal claims and thought experiments can be accounted for in terms of our capacity for evaluating everyday counterfactuals. No wonder this innovative proposal sparked intense debate. To mention just two critical points: First, one might wonder
whether our ability to evaluate the relevant counterfactuals depends upon prior knowledge of metaphysical necessity or essentiality. If so, the account runs the risk of being circular. Second, Williamson’s account of thought experiments is designed to address the problem that any case description could be realised in a deviant way. One might suspect that Williamson’s own counterfactual account falls prey to the same difficulty. The workshop aims at promoting the critical discussion of the counterfactual account of both modal knowledge and thought experiments.
 
Location: Unter den Linden 6, Room 3059
 
____________________________________________
 

Preliminary program:

 

Sept 2

 

9.30 - 11.00  Timothy Williamson, Oxford: TBA

 

                   Coffee

 

11.30 - 13.00 Joachim Horvath, Köln:

                   Thought Experiments without Modal Reasoning

 

13.00 - 15.00 Lunch Break

 

15.00 - 16.30 Daniel Dohrn, Maribel Romero and Tobias Rosefeldt, Berlin:

                   Thought Experiments and Deviant Realisations I

 

                   Coffee

 

17.00 -18.30 Daniel Dohrn, Maribel Romero and Tobias Rosefeldt, Konstanz

                  and Berlin:

                  Thought Experiments and the Problem of Deviant Realisations I

 

20.00           Dinner

 

Sept 3

 

9.30 -11.00  Juhani Yli-Vakkuri, Oslo:

                 Actuality and Conceptual Necessity

                  

                  Coffee

 

11.30 – 13.00 Christian Nimtz, Bielefeld: TBA

 

13.00 - 15.00 Lunch Break

 

15.00 - 16.30 Jonathan Ichikawa, Vancouver:

                   Modals, Modality, and Modal Epistemology

 

16.30 – 17.30 Closing Discussion

 

20.00            Dinner

_______________________________________

 

 

Additional information

 

Itinerary hotel Allegra - Friedrichstraße station - conference venue

 

Hotel Allegra

Albrechtstraße 17
10117 Berlin
Tel. +49 (30) 3 08 86-0
Fax +49 (30) 3 08 86-100

 

http://her.is/Dxa3b

 

The station closest to the hotel and the workshop is Friedrichstraße. There are two airports, Schönefeld and Tegel. From Schönefeld, you may take the Airport Express (RB 14, RE 7) train or the S45 metro train to Friedrichstraße. From Tegel, you may take the bus 128 to Kurt-Schumacher-Platz and then the U6. Or you may take take the bus TXL to Hauptbahnhof and then S5 or S7 to Friedrichstraße.