Earlier this month I reported on a new MA program in philosophy and computing at the University of Bayreuth and another in philosophy and data science at Marche Polytechnic. Since then, a few other new or recently developed programs that bring philosophy together with science and/or technology—both at the masters and undergraduate levels—have come to my attention.
Below are descriptions of four of them.
The Department of Philosophy at the University of California, Merced, has launched new major and minor programs in “Science, Technology, and Ethics”. Here’s some information about the program, via Carolyn Dicey Jennings:
The mission of the B.S. and Minor in Science, Technology, and Ethics (STE) is to impart an understanding of the ethical and political dimensions of science and technology. STE students will develop skills for ethical reflection and assessment of both scientific research and technological development, preparing them for careers in a variety of sectors, including government, non-profits, and NGOs. Along with courses in ethics, majors will gain depth in a particular area of science and technology, such as biology or data science. The STE program structure allows for both specialization and flexibility to accommodate students with interests in a variety of STEM fields.
The STE major offers students a distinctive combination of STEM and humanities. On the one hand, students gain nearly the equivalent of a minor in a STEM field of their choice, with 12 upper division units and an additional 8–24 units of lower-division prerequisites (depending on the STEM field chosen). On the other hand, students take 24 upper-division units (6 courses) in “broad sense STS,” courses in the humanities and social sciences that analyze the ethical, legal, and social issues (ELSI) raised by novel technologies and scientific developments. In the final year, for the senior capstone experience, students develop a case study of ELSI in their chosen STEM field, synthesizing the two sides of their training.
Michael Nagenborg of the Philosophy Section at University of Twente informs me that they are starting a new undergraduate minor in “Environmental Values and Sustainable Transformations.” It is an interdisciplinary minor in environmental philosophy and critical social sciences designed to give students “the necessary tools to be an integral part of transformative change towards a sustainable and just future” and develop their “ability to translate these values and visions into concrete options for research, policy, and design.”
Twente’s Philosophy Section has also added to its existing science and technology-oriented philosophy programs at the graduate level by creating a new track for its philosophy masters students in “AI in Science and Society.” Aimed at preparing its graduates for both academic and non-academic work in artificial intelligence, the track will have students “deep-dive into the Ethics and Epistemology of Artificial Intelligence applications,” Professor Nagenborg says.
In a comment on an earlier post, Dimitri Mollo of the Department of Historical, Philosophical, and Religious Studies at Umeå University shares that they will soon be offering a Bachelor’s degree in “Philosophy and Artificial Intelligence.” Students in the program will take courses in philosophy, computer science, and other subjects. The program aims to teach students how to “analyze and evaluate AI applications scientifically, ethically and politically” and have the competencies needed “to communicate and collaborate on AI issues with technologists, politicians, companies and organizations.”
Samantha Brennan, Dean of the College of Arts and a member of the Department of Philosophy at the University of Guelph, noted that they now have a “Philosophy and Data Science” MA program. The program “brings together philosophical and computational methodologies that will provide students with the capacity to address the pressing problems [arising from] society’s increasing reliance on data-driven technologies in so many aspects of modern life.”
If you’re institution is offering similar graduate or undergraduate programs, tell us about them. It would be useful to get a sense of how big a trend this is. Discussion is also welcome on ideas for new programs that bring philosophy together with science and technology, as well as the tasks and challenges involved in making these programs a reality.