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Papers invited for Synthese Topical Collection.
The collection explores how philosophy of science may better engage public policy.Deadline: April 10, 2026
Online Meeting URL
Call for Papers: Philosophy of Science in Public Policy
Guest Editor(s): Sabina Leonelli, Technical University of Munich; Richard Williams, Technical University of Munich
Link: https://link.springer.com/collections/hghbhiahhc
Topical Collection Description:
This collection examines how expertise in the philosophy of science can and should help public policy. Recent research shows that controversies over best research practices and the ways different publics use science have significant policy implications. The context-specific nature of scientific processes and blurred demarcations between science and other forms of knowledge demonstrate that research results are fragile, shaping what evidence and expertise are considered reliable. Mistrust in science and disinformation campaigns indicate that policymakers need robust ways to engage with scientific practice and evidence. This collection brings together scholars engaged in policy-relevant research to: 1) discuss the roles philosophers can play in this process; 2) explore which outputs and relationships philosophers can prioritise to inform policy more effectively; and 3) systematically show how our field can help policymakers resist naive presumptions about science and work with scientific experts more efficiently.
The philosophy of science in practice has made significant contributions to how evidence is, and should (or should not) be, used in public policy. The promise of this research is to help policymakers think more rigorously about the validity and limits of scientific evidence for their specific purposes, ultimately enabling the creation of more effective and less risky public policy. However, this promise will remain largely unrealised unless philosophers improve their capacity to share research outputs with policymakers, and in turn absorb policy debates and feedback into their scholarship. Moreover, it will be enhanced if philosophers can build judicious connections with policymakers to more easily co-produce philosophically informed policy and policy-relevant research. This collection raises the question about how philosophical research practices can and should evolve to fill this gap.
Evidence-based policy aims to avoid naive approaches and produce effective public policy. Similarly, the philosophy of science seeks to avoid naive misuses of evidence, which can promote the responsible use of evidence in policymaking. For instance, philosophy of science in practice highlights that scientific communities frequently conduct research under less-than-ideal circumstances, with limited resources, and in specific institutional settings. There is a growing philosophical consensus that scientific evidence is often uncertain, value-laden, and fragile. How should the context-specific conditions affecting scientific knowledge creation inform how policymakers use resulting evidence? How may philosophy help policymakers make better use of evidence in public policy? How can philosophy-policy engagement promote the relationships and research policymakers need to fully exploit philosophical expertise when planning interventions in complex social systems?
Philosophers can also benefit from policymakers’ expertise. In a fractured social landscape, policymakers must often make time-sensitive decisions with incomplete and conflicting evidence from traditional sources, increasingly competing with powerful misinformation and disinformation campaigns, resulting in growing public distrust of science and science-based policy. Should practical challenges faced by policy institutions shape philosophical research, and how?
We welcome contributions to a broad discussion of these questions, preferably rooted in concrete engagement and/or examples to illustrate and ground philosophical analysis.
Appropriate Topics for Submission include, among others:
- Philosophical analysis of evidence-based policy and the use of scientific knowledge in public policy more generally
- Case studies of philosophy/policy engagement
- Epistemic and ethical considerations about trust, expertise and authority in science/policy interactions
- Philosophical analysis of the policy-relevance of Philosophy of Science in Practice research
- Philosophical analysis of the policy-relevance of Open Science, Data Governance and Research Infrastructures initiatives
- Philosophical analysis of how misinformation and public trust impact science in policymaking
- Philosophical analysis of the division of epistemic labour among philosophers, scientists and policymakers
For further information, please contact the guest editor(s): richard.williams@tum.de
The deadline for submissions is April 10, 2026. You are welcome to send informal inquiries beforehand to the guest editors of the topical collection, by writing to richard.williams@tum.de .
Submissions via: https://www.editorialmanager.com/synt/default.aspx - please pick the option of “submission to topical collections” and choose “Philosophy of Science in Public Policy” from the drop down menu.
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