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851-0095-00L 3 Credits DS , DR , MSC D-GESS

Is All Relative? On Scientific Authority, Belief Change, and Universally Valid Norms

Alles relativ? Über wissenschaftliche Autorität, Meinungswandel und universelle Normen

Lecturers & Examiners: Prof. em. Dr. Lutz Wingert
Doctoral students can receive credit for the achievements of this course in the section "Transferable Skills".
VVZ CR n/a

Last Updated: 2026-02-05 16:15:52

Abstract

Is all relative? “Yes!” is often the answer in societies of the West, the East, and the South now. The sciences are but one belief system among others like religions. Human rights are inventions with vested interests of their Western inventors. Reality is standpoint-relative. For, the view from nowhere is impossible. Yesterday’s knowledge is today’s merely socially shared belief. Is this true?

Objective

Those students who are studying the explained and commented literature and following attentively the discussions will know certain answers to some important questions. And they will be able to evaluate those answers to the following questions: 1. What are reasons for the authority of the sciences in the 21th century? 2. Scientific theories about the world are incomplete, they changed and will change. Should we conclude from incompleteness and change that scientific authority is doubtful or even illegitimate? 3. Social norms and scientific methods vary with historical times and with cultures. Do we have to draw the conclusion that there are no universally valid social norms? Do we have to accept and tolerate cultures and methods whatever they are? 4. We human beings form opinions about the world and cope with the world on the bases of firm background beliefs, values, norms, and interests. Does this make experienced reality standpoint relative? 5. What is the right and what is the wrong way to conceptualize “relative” and “relativism”? 6. In which sense a truth is relative and in which sense it is not? 7. How should we understand the relation between “relative”/”relativism” and “objective”/”objectivity”?

Resources

Literature

Literature in alphabetical order: Martin Carrier, Wissenschaft im Griff der Wirtschaft. Auswirkungen kommerzialisierter Forschung auf die Erkenntnisgewinnung, in: Gerhard Schurz, Martin Carrier (Hrsg.), Werte in den Wissenschaften. Neue Ansätze zum Werturteilsstreit, Berlin 2013, S. 374-396. Nancy Cartwright, A Philosopher Looks At Science, Oxford 2022, I. The Melange of Theory Ingredients: Concepts; Models and Narrativs; Diagrams, Illustrations, and Graphs; Experiments and the Testing of Theory, S. 19-61. Pascal Engel, Les vices du savoir. Essai d’éthique intellectuelle, Marseille 2019, Teil V, Kap. 1: Les valeurs et normes épistémiques sont-elles simplement sociales?, S. 275-293; Kap. 3: Quelles taxinomies pour les vertus et les vices intellectuels?, S. 298-311. Stephen Gaukroger, Objectivity. A Very Short Introduction, Oxford 2012. Jürgen Habermas, Vom pragmatischen, ethischen und moralischen Gebrauch der Vernunft, in: ders., Erläuterungen zur Diskursethik, Frankfurt/M. 1991, S. 100-118. Sandra Harding, Objectivity and Diversity, Chicago 2015, Kap 7: After Mr. Nowhere. New Proper Scientific Selves, S. 150-173. Katja Hosling, Roseanne Russell, Discrimination Law. Equality Law, and Implicit Bias, in: Michael Brownstein, Jennifer Saul (Hrsg.), Implicit Bias & Philosophy. Moral Responsibility, Structural Injustice, and Ethics, Oxford 2016, S. 255-278. Matthias Mahlmann, Mind and Rights. The History, Ethics, Law and Psychology of Human Rights, Cambridge 2023, Kap. 3.6: The Many Roots of Human Rights, S. 180-198. Thomas Nagel, The Last Word, Oxford 1997, Introduction; Kap. 6: Ethics; S. 3-11, 101-125. Jürgen Renn, Die Evolution des Wissens. Eine Neubestimmung der Wissenschaft für das Anthropozän, Berlin 2022, Teil 2: Wie sich Wissensstrukturen wandeln. Kap. 4: Strukturelle Veränderungen in Wissenssystemen, S. 155-198. Peter Unger, Philosophical Relativity, Oxford 1984, Teil III: A Relativistic Approach to Some Philosophical Problems, S. 46-64.

General Information

Language
German
Levels
DS , DR , MSC
Frequency
Yearly recurring

Examination

Type
graded semester performance

Course Components

Type Title Time & Place Hours
lecture with exercise Alles relativ? Über wissenschaftliche Autorität, Meinungswandel und universelle Normen
  • Thu 12:15-14:00 (HG D 1.1)
  • 11.01 Date 11:15-14:00 (HG D 1.1)
  • 18.01 Date 11:15-14:00 (HG D 1.1)
2 h weekly

Offered In