STS TÜRKİYE – METU UEAM : STS Meets Ethics Joint Conference

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Date: 31 October – 02 November 2023

Venue: Middle East Technical University

Languages: English and Turkish

Grand challenges created by climate change, environmental degradation and the resulting natural disasters along with the growing energy crisis, immigration and pandemics, on the one hand, and the hype and fear around the rise of artificial intelligence applications like ChatGPT, biomedical advances and digitalization based on big data, on the other… In a world characterised by such global crises and rapid advancements in science and technology, it has now become inevitable to address these complex and multifaceted phenomena through an interdisciplinary approach.

Philosophy addresses these phenomena in an effort to make sense of them while simultaneously taking upon itself the task of inquiring how they ought to be developed. Like many social sciences and humanities, philosophy too increasingly contributes to the diversity of studies on technology and science, particularly from the point of view of ethics.  It is also crucial to acknowledge the significance of Science, Technology and Society / Science and Technology Studies (STS) which have been shaping our understanding of emerging technologies a great deal. STS has been at the forefront of highlighting the interconnectedness of society, science, and technology, emphasizing their mutual influence on one another. This perspective has prompted us to delve deeper into the intricate relationships between science, technology and society, inspiring new insights and innovative approaches.

As we navigate the complexities of these phenomena, philosophy and STS continue to play pivotal roles in guiding us towards a holistic understanding of the interactions between science, technology and society. By recognizing the dynamic interplay between these elements, we can better address the ethical, social and philosophical implications arising from technological and scientific advancements. In this sense, philosophy and STS not only enrich our intellectual pursuits but also empower us to shape a future that aligns technology with human needs, aspirations and values.

The conference “STS meets Ethics” jointly organised by METU Applied Ethics Research Center (UEAM), Science and Technology Policy Research Center (TEKPOL), Department of Philosophy and Turkish Scholarly Network for Science and Technology Studies (STS TÜRKİYE) and Bilkent University Faculty of Engineering welcomes any contributions inquiring the interconnectedness of science, technology, society and ethics. “STS Meets Ethics” thus aims to foster a more informed, ethical and responsible approach to the development of emerging technologies and their impact on society.

Conference topics include but are not limited to the following:

 

  •       Environment, Technology and Ethics

Environmental ethics; Sustainability; Green transformation and society; Science, technology and urban life; Multispecies ethnography; Agriculture and food ethics

 

  •       Digital Technologies and Society

Internet security, social media and big data; Artificial intelligence; Human rights in the information age; Information technologies and e-Government; Surveillance society and biopolitics; Human Machine Interaction

 

  •       Medicine, Technology and Society 

Medical ethics; Bioethics; Philosophy of biology; Transhumanism; Posthumanism; Stem cell, genetic modification, human enhancement; Reproductive technologies; Biopolitics; Food technologies; Biomedicalisation

 

  •       Responsible Research and Innovation

Design, technology and society; Participatory design; Responsible design; Social entrepreneurship and innovation; Science communication; Integrity in scientific research and technology development; Innovation management; Technology assessment; Defence industry; Academic performance metrics

 

  •       Culture and Identity under the Influence of Technology

Migration due to wars or climate events; Terror, war; Gender; Science, technology and feminism; Social media; Post-truth; Dis/Ability; Discrimination and inequality based on sexual orientation and ethnicity; Technology and psychology; Perception of technology in society

 

  •       Ethics, Aesthetics, Technology

Art, artisanship, and technology; Bioart and society; Digital arts; Science fiction literature and cinema; Aesthetics of technology

 

  •       Philosophy and History of Technology

Philosophy of technology; Evolution of technology; Social transformation and technology; Relationship between science and technology