Conceptual Engineering: New ideas for a disrupted age
As our realities are rapidly reshaped by technological and social change, the world can feel increasingly chaotic and hard to grasp. Part of the difficulty may lie in the language we use; our current ideas often fall short of capturing the complexity we’re living through.
Conceptual engineering is a growing field of philosophy that asks how we can reshape the language we rely on, like autonomy, trust, or care, to better reflects the world as it is, and to guide the world as it could be. In a time of socially disruptive technologies like AI and genetic engineering, our old frameworks often break down. Conceptual engineering offers tools to make sense of these disruptions.
Join us on Friday 25th of April at Playhouse East in London for an opportunity to discuss this exciting new field and the contribution it can make with two of it's leading academics, as well as people working on real world change!
The session will include drinks and an opportunity for networking.
Speakers will include:
Dr. Manuel Gustavo Isaac - Senior Program Manager at the Geneva Science and Diplomacy Anticipator (GESDA) and Lecturer in emerging technology ethics at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL). A leading voice in conceptual engineering, Dr. Isaac's research bridges theoretical foundations with practical applications in the context of science and technology anticipation.
Dr. Guido Löhr - Assistant Professor in the Philosophy of AI and Logic at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Dr. Löhr explores the ethical and conceptual foundations of emerging technologies. His research bridges philosophy, cognitive science and social ontology, focusing on how conceptual engineering can enhance the practice of ethical design.
Lela Kogbara - Director at Place Matters, Lela was senior leader in the UK public sector for 25 years, including as Assistant Chief Executive for Islington Council, a director at NHS England and advisor at Department for Education. She was one of the founding directors of Black Thrive Global. Lela is currently a member of NHS England Advancing Mental Health Equality Taskforce, a trustee of DFN Project Search and of Liliesleaf Trust UK, and is on the board of Social Finance.
Dr Céline Henne - Postdoctoral Fellow in Philosophy at the University of Bologna, Dr Henne researches the intersection of epistemology, philosophy of language and philosophy of science.
Daniel Stanley - Executive Director at Future Narratives Lab
This event takes place with the support of the Independent Social Research Foundation, and the University of Bologna. It forms part of a research project financed by the European Union PRIN 2022 PNRR “Democratizing Concepts (DeCo)” Prot. P2022ARREH, CUP J53D23016340001, led by Dr Matteo Santarelli.