British Journal for the Philosophy of Science
LightNews LightNews
banner
thebjps.bsky.social
British Journal for the Philosophy of Science
@thebjps.bsky.social
5.6K followers 990 following 310 posts
Latest issue:
https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/toc/bjps/current

BJPS Review of Books:
https://www.thebsps.org/reviewofbooks/

BJPS Short Reads:
https://www.thebsps.org/short-reads/

Podcast:
https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/bjps
Posts Replies Media Videos
Pinned
thebjps.bsky.social
British Journal for the Philosophy of Science @thebjps.bsky.social · Nov 11
Welcome new followers! Some of the content we post will be behind a paywall (boo! hiss!)—but that wall is, like, two inches high. Join the BSPS for $20 ($4 for students) to get complete access to everything as well as the warm glow of supporting the society working for your discipline!
Journal subscriptions for The British Journal for the Philosophy of Science from the University of Chicago Press website.
Journal subscriptions for The British Journal for the Philosophy of Science from the University of Chicago Press website.
press.uchicago.edu
thebjps.bsky.social
ICYMI Olivier Morin reviews It’s Only Human, by Armin W Schulz 👇
#philsci #philsky
December 20, 2025 at 12:33 PM
thebjps.bsky.social
From the new issue:

Against Prohibition (or, When Using Ordinal Scales to Compare Groups Is OK)
– Cristian Larroulet Philippi

Abstract in alt text or read it here:
www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.1...

#philsci #philsky
ABSTRACT. There is a widely held view on measurement inferences that defends the prohibition that we should not make inferences from averages taken with ordinal scales (versus quantitative scales; interval or ratio). This prohibition is general—applying to all ordinal scales—and is sometimes endorsed without qualification. Adhering to it dramatically limits research in the social and biomedical sciences. I provide a Bayesian analysis of this problem, determining when measurements from ordinal scales can be used to confirm hypotheses about relative group averages. I illustrate with the alleged paradigm ordinal scale—the Mohs scale of mineral hardness—arguing that it has been mischaracterized in the literature. The prohibition, I conclude, cannot be upheld, even in a qualified sense. The beliefs needed to make average comparisons are less demanding than those appropriate for quantitative scales.
December 19, 2025 at 10:45 AM
thebjps.bsky.social
From the new issue:

Bayesian Merging of Opinions and Algorithmic Randomness
– Francesca Zaffora Blando

Abstract in alt text or read it here:
www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/...

#philsci #philsky
ABSTRACT. When they agree on which data streams are algorithmically random, two Bayesian agents beginning the learning process with different priors may be seen as having compatible beliefs about the global uniformity of nature. This is because the algorithmically random data streams are of necessity globally regular: they are precisely the sequences that satisfy certain important statistical laws. By virtue of agreeing on which data streams are algorithmically random, two Bayesian agents can thus be taken to concur on which global regularities they expect to see in the data. I show that this type of compatibility between priors suffices to ensure that two computable Bayesian agents will reach inter-subjective agreement with increasing information. Thus, when shared by computable Bayesian learners with different subjective priors, the beliefs about uniformity captured by algorithmic randomness provably lead to merging of opinions.
December 18, 2025 at 7:07 PM
thebjps.bsky.social
From the new issue:

A Hybrid Theory of Induction
– Adrià Segarra

Abstract in alt text or read it here:
www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/...

#philsci #philsky
ABSTRACT. There are two important traditions in the philosophy of induction. According to one, inductive arguments are warranted by rules. Bayesianism is the most popular view within this tradition. According to the other, inductive arguments are not warranted by rules but by matters of fact. Norton’s material theory of induction is one such influential view within this tradition. Despite their limitations, both approaches illuminate important aspects inductive support. Here I present a hybrid theory of induction, in which I acknowledge and articulate the role of both rules and matters of fact in our understanding. Rules of induction accurately describe relations of inductive support when they are warranted, and a rule of induction is warranted if the right facts about the matter of the induction obtain. This provides a functional and accurate account of inductive support that can make sense of how different rules of induction coexist and tackle problems in epistemology.
December 17, 2025 at 10:15 AM
thebjps.bsky.social
New from the BJPS Review of Books:

The Einstein Paradox
– Guido Bacciagaluppi & Elise Crull

Reviewed by Thomas Ryckman

Read it here:
www.thebsps.org/reviewofbook...

#philsci #phisky #hps
Guido Bacciagaluppi and Elise Crull, The Einstein Paradox | BJPS Review of Books
Thomas Ryckman reviews The Einstein Paradox, by Guido Bacciagaluppi and Elise Crull
www.thebsps.org
December 16, 2025 at 10:28 AM
thebjps.bsky.social
From the new issue:

The Bohmian Approach to the Problems of Cosmological Quantum Fluctuations
– Sheldon Goldstein, Ward Struyve & Roderich Tumulka

Abstract in alt text or read it here:
www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/...

#philsci #philsky
ABSTRACT. There are two kinds of quantum fluctuations relevant to cosmology that we focus on here: those that form the seeds for structure formation in the early universe and those giving rise to Boltzmann brains in the late universe. Boltzmann brains are random agglomerates of particles that, by extreme coincidence, form functioning brains. Unlikely as these coincidences are, they seem to be predicted to occur in a quantum universe as vacuum fluctuations if the universe continues to exist for an infinite (or just very long) time. Indeed, they are predicted to occur over and over, forming the majority of all brains in the history of the universe. We provide an introduction to the Bohmian version of quantum theory and explain why in this version, the undesirable kind of fluctuation leading to Boltzmann brains does not occur (or at least not often), while the desirable kind of fluctuation responsible for structure formation in the early universe does.
December 15, 2025 at 10:15 AM
thebjps.bsky.social
Weekend, you say? Book reviews, we say!

Azita Chellappoo reviews Sex, Gender, Ethics, and the Darwinian Evolution of Mankind, edited by Michel Veuille

#philsci #philsky
December 13, 2025 at 12:55 PM
thebjps.bsky.social
From the new issue:

Biochemical Functions
– Francesca Bellazzi

Abstract in alt text or free to read here:
www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.1...

#philsci #philsky
ABSTRACT. Biochemists commonly ascribe functions to biomolecules and classify them accordingly, as has been noted in the recent literature on biochemical kinds. But while a lot has been written on biological and psychological functions, less has been said about biochemical functions. I consider whether a biological or a chemical understanding of function can be applied to biochemical functions, illustrating the issue with the example of vitamin B12. I argue that an adequate characterization of biochemical function cannot be provided by either a biological or a chemical understanding alone. Instead, I argue that if we accept functional attribution to biochemical molecules, then biochemical function is constituted by chemical dispositional properties that causally contribute to selected biological processes.
December 12, 2025 at 10:45 AM
thebjps.bsky.social
From the new issue:

Why the Weyl Tile Argument Is Wrong
– Lu Chen

Abstract in alt text or read it here:
www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.1...

#philsci #philsky
ABSTRACT. Weyl famously argued that if space were discrete, then Euclidean geometry could not hold even approximately. Since then, many philosophers have responded to this argument by advancing alternative accounts of discrete geometry that recover approximately Euclidean space. However, they have missed an importantly flawed assumption in Weyl’s argument: physical geometry is determined by fundamental spacetime structures independently from dynamical laws. In this article, I aim to show its falsity through two rigorous examples: random walks in statistical physics and quantum mechanics.
December 11, 2025 at 10:15 AM
thebjps.bsky.social
The Editors' Choice Article from the latest issue:

Semanticization Challenges the Episodic–Semantic Distinction
– Sara Aronowitz

Abstract in alt text and free to read here: www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.1...

#philsci #philsky
ABSTRACT. Episodic and semantic memory are often taken to be fundamentally different mental systems, and contemporary philosophers often pursue research questions about episodic memory, in particular, in isolation from semantic memory. This article challenges that assumption, and puts pressure on philosophical approaches to memory that break off episodic memory as its own stand-alone topic. I present and systematize psychological and neuroscientific theories of semanticization, the thesis that memory content tends to drift from episodic to semantic in structure over time and exposure to an environment. Semanticization, I argue, is a long-term interconnection between episodic and semantic systems that requires approaching both the content and function of these two memory systems as a whole. Thus we have a reason to reject projects by Martin, which aims to carve out a uniquely episodic memory content, and Michaelian, which pairs episodic memory to its own unique function. Instead, seeing declarative memory as a single system with two facets or even a continuum of features allows for deeper insight into both content and function.
December 10, 2025 at 10:15 AM
thebjps.bsky.social
New from the BJPS Review of Books

It’s Only Human
– Armin W Schulz

Reviewed by Olivier Morin

Read it here:
www.thebsps.org/reviewofbooks/morin-on-schulz

#philsci #philsky
Armin Schulz, It’s Only Human | BJPS Review of Books
Olivier Morin reviews It’s Only Human, by Armin Schulz
www.thebsps.org
December 9, 2025 at 11:30 AM
Reposted by British Journal for the Philosophy of Science
mehr.nz
manuscript central wrapped (you can only see it after resetting your password)
December 7, 2025 at 7:45 AM
Reposted by British Journal for the Philosophy of Science
theramseylab.bsky.social
Come work with us! We are looking for a postdoc in #philbio or #philphysics to work on an interdisciplinary project that adopts the lens of self-organization & active matter to explore the boundary between living & nonliving systems www.kuleuven.be/personeel/jo... #academicsky #philjobs #HPS #evosky
December 8, 2025 at 11:21 AM
Reposted by British Journal for the Philosophy of Science
mcps-philsci.bsky.social
New PSA postdoc working group. "The PSA is in the process of implementing a formal subdivision devoted to postdocs. A working group meets intermittently online. PSA members are invited to take short survey (buff.ly/IfZuE7k). Em Alan Love (aclove@umn.edu) to receive email updates/Zoom links."
Qualtrics Survey | Qualtrics Experience Management
The most powerful, simple and trusted way to gather experience data. Start your journey to experience management and try a free account today.
buff.ly
December 8, 2025 at 4:30 PM
thebjps.bsky.social
Santa has come early! New issue out now, full of festive treats for all the family. Biochemical functions and quantum fluctuations! Weyl tiles and ordinal scales! Mass extinctions, artificial neural networks and much more…Find it here:
www.journals.uchicago.edu/toc/bjps/cur...

#philsci #philsky
British Journal for the Philosophy of Science Volume 76, Issue 4 Table of Contents Editors' Choice Article: Semanticization Challenges the Episodic–Semantic Distinction By Sara Aronowitz Why the Weyl Tile Argument Is Wrong By Lu Chen Biochemical Functions By Francesca Bellazzi The Bohmian Approach to the Problems of Cosmological Quantum Fluctuations By Sheldon Goldstein, Ward Struyve, and Roderich Tumulka A Hybrid Theory of Induction By Adrià Segarra Bayesian Merging of Opinions and Algorithmic Randomness By Francesca Zaffora Blando Against Prohibition (or, When Using Ordinal Scales to Compare Groups Is OK) By Cristian Larroulet Philippi Are We in a Sixth Mass Extinction? The Challenges of Answering and Value of Asking By Federica Bocchi, Alisa Bokulich, Leticia Castillo Brache, Gloria Grand-Pierre, and Aja Watkins A Falsificationist Account of Artificial Neural Networks By Oliver Buchholz and Eric Raidl General-Purpose Institutional Decision-Making Heuristics: The Case of Decision-Making under Deep Uncertainty By David Thorstad The Typical Principle By Isaac Wilhelm
December 8, 2025 at 10:15 AM
thebjps.bsky.social
Weekends are for book reviews, part 145:

#philsci #philsky
December 6, 2025 at 4:15 PM
Reposted by British Journal for the Philosophy of Science
ufeest.bsky.social
My friend and mentor, the wonderful philosopher Jim Bogen, has died. #HPS #Philsci
dailynous.com/2025/12/04/j...
James Bogen (1935-2025) - Daily Nous
James "Jim" Bogen, a longtime professor of philosophy at Pitzer College as well as an adjunct professor in History and Philosophy of Science at the University of Pittsburgh, has died. Professor Bogen ...
dailynous.com
December 5, 2025 at 6:57 AM
Reposted by British Journal for the Philosophy of Science
marshall0i.bsky.social
The Society for the Metaphysics of Science (SMS) will be hosting its 11th Annual Conference, in person at University of Toronto, 25th-27th May, 2026. socmetsci.org/2026 #philsci Papers can be on any aspect of the metaphysics of science, broadly construed.
December 3, 2025 at 4:09 AM
Reposted by British Journal for the Philosophy of Science
kathrynnave.bsky.social
A Drive to Survive has now had a few reviews & I'm so grateful that they've been exceptionally generous and incisive. Thread here:

1st: Matteo Colombo in BJPS (particularly nice to read - given how pivotal his papers on the FEP were in helping me understand it)

www.thebsps.org/reviewofbook...
Kathryn Nave, A Drive to Survive | BJPS Review of Books
Matteo Colombo reviews A Drive to Survive, by Kathryn Nave
www.thebsps.org
December 3, 2025 at 8:37 AM
Reposted by British Journal for the Philosophy of Science
eenphilsci.bsky.social
The EENPS 2026 call for papers & symposia is now open! 🔥🔥🔥

🗓 Submission deadline: 15 Feb 2026
Conference: 18–19 Sept 2026, Bucharest 😉

See the conference website for full details!
eenps2026.sciencesconf.org
The Sixth Biennial Conference of the East European Network for Philosophy of Science - Sciencesconf.org
Home
eenps2026.sciencesconf.org
December 2, 2025 at 7:42 AM
thebjps.bsky.social
New from the BJPS Review of Books:

Sex, Gender, Ethics, and the Darwinian Evolution of Mankind
– Michel Veuille

Reviewed by Azita Chellappoo

www.thebsps.org/reviewofbook...

#philsci #philsky
Michel Veuille, Sex, Gender, Ethics, and the Darwinian Evolution of Mankind | BJPS Review of Books
Azita Chellappoo reviews Sex, Gender, Ethics, and the Darwinian Evolution of Mankind, edited by Michel Veuille
www.thebsps.org
December 2, 2025 at 11:23 AM
Reposted by British Journal for the Philosophy of Science
carnage4life.bsky.social
arXiv will no longer accept review articles and position papers unless they have been accepted at a journal or a conference and complete successful peer review.

This is due to being overwhelmed by a hundreds of AI generated papers a month.

Yet another open submission process killed by LLMs.
Attention Authors: Updated Practice for Review Articles and Position Papers in arXiv CS Category – arXiv blog
blog.arxiv.org
November 1, 2025 at 5:28 PM
Reposted by British Journal for the Philosophy of Science
socarxiv.bsky.social
In light of record submission rates and a large volume of AI-generated slop, SocArXiv recently implemented a policy requiring ORCIDs linked in the OSF profile of submitting authors, and narrowing our focus to social science subjects. Today we are taking two more steps:
/1
November 27, 2025 at 2:54 PM
thebjps.bsky.social
Just accepted

Non-relativistic Background Independence and the Gauging of Spacetime Symmetries
– Nicola Bamonti, Enrico Cinti & Marco Sanchioni

Abstract in alt text or read it here:
www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/...

#philsci #philsky
ABSTRACT. This article redefines background independence through a gauge-theoretic lens, arguing that it is not exclusive to general relativity but inherent to any gravitational theory whose spacetime geometry emerges dynamically from gauging symmetry groups' algebras. Applying this framework, we demonstrate that (torsional) Newton–Cartan and Carrollian gravities—obtained via gauging the Bargmann and Carroll algebras, respectively—satisfy background independence. This shows that background independence is decoupled from relativistic structures (for example, Lorentzian metrics, light cones) and instead is a hallmark of gauging: spacetime geometry arises as an interacting dynamical gauge field. We also suggest that this new way of thinking about background independence might have relevant implications for quantum gravity theory building.
November 27, 2025 at 10:15 AM
thebjps.bsky.social
Just accepted

The Unanimous Consent Approach to Value Management in Citizen Science
– Andrew Allison

Abstract in alt text or read it here:
www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/...

#philsci #philsky
ABSTRACT. Citizen science involves collaboration between citizens and researchers. Just as is the case with scientific inquiry among trained researchers alone, both epistemic and non-epistemic values can conflict with one another within citizen science. When this happens, philosophers of science have sought to manage the various values of researchers and other stakeholders. I consider two approaches for addressing these conflicts: the transparency model and the unanimous consent model. While proponents of the former suggest that difficulties implementing this approach will be faced by both citizens and researchers, I argue that they are likely amplified in the case of citizen science: citizens face greater difficulties than researchers in making explicit other interpretations of data and clarifying major assumptions that were made, two steps of the transparency approach. Instead, I propose that the unanimous consent model be adopted to manage values in citizen science.
November 26, 2025 at 10:15 AM