[PEN-L:5136] CFP: Conference on the Need for a New Economics of Science

[Economics of Science Conference]

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        Conference on the Need for a New Economics of Science
             Conference Announcement and Call for Papers
                   University of Notre Dame
                      March 13-16, 1997

                Final deadline: September 30, 1996

Sponsored by: National Science Foundation, John J. Reilly Center for
Science, Technology, and Values, and Office of Graduate Research

        Many recent works in science studies have adopted economic or
quasi-economic metaphors for understanding science. Inspired by trends
toward the actual practice and culture of science, many sociologists of
scientific knowledge have come up with stories about interests, action,
and exchange that look like the product of economic analysis. However,
these metaphors are generally not fully elaborated. Motivated by movements
toward economic perspectives on traditionally non-economic issues, many
economists have started applying the tools of economic analysis to the
behavior of scientists. However, these studies are largely silent about
the influence of these analyses on the content of science. In response to
tendencies toward anti-foundationalism and naturalism, many philosophers
of science have argued that scientific knowledge is constructed out of an
economic process. However, these explanations typically sidestep problems
associated with welfare economics and the assumption of instrumental
rationality in economics. Concomitantly, historians have noted a recent
shift in social support for scientific research and science policy experts
have analyzed issues such as the recent changes in financial support of
science.
        The different perspectives on (quasi-)economics of science and/or
scientific knowledge can be organized in terms of old and new economics of
science. Old economics of science consists of an institutional approach to
science, an argument that science is a market, a unity-of science
approach, and a clear definition of the organizational framework of
scientific research. New economics of science consists of a contextual
approach to science, an argument that science cannot be commodified, a
disunity-of science approach, and a questioning of the units of
organization in science. The purpose of this conference is to bring
together science studies scholars, economists, philosophers of science,
historians, science policy experts, and scientists in order to evaluate
and clarify the increasing gulf between old and new economics of science,
economics of science and economics of scientific knowledge, and
quasi-economic metaphors and economic metaphors of science.
        The conference will start a constructive dialogue about the
promises and problems of alternative economic theories of the behavior of
scientists and comparisons of science to a market. Particular topics that
will be covered are: the intellectual history of theories of an economics
of science, evolving formats of university/government and
university/industry relations, labor economics perspectives on scientific
careers, feminist economics views on science, the economics of the
dissemination and validation of findings, the conception that science is a
public good, the economics of fraud in science, the causes and
consequences of the division of labor in science, and the economics of
intellectual property rights.

Proposals for papers, accompanied by an abstract of roughly 500 words, or
requests for further information, should be directed to either Philip
Mirowski or Esther-Mirjam Sent, Department of Economics, University of
Notre Dame, IN 46556, U.S.A. The final deadline for proposals is September
30, 1996. The conference has an e-mail address ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) and a
Web-site (http://www.nd.edu:80/~econsci).
 
_____________________________________________________

Conference on the Need for a New Economics of Science

Philip E. Mirowski and Esther-Mirjam Sent
Department of Economics
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, IN 46556
U.S.A.

phone:  (219)631-7580/6979
fax:    (219)631-8809

e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Web-site: http://www.nd.edu:80/~econsci