Melinda Fagan (University of Utah)
We consider philosophy of science in practice as interdisciplinary research, using a long-term project on philosophy of stem cell research as a case study. Results of this project put the philosophical and scientific sides of this project at odds: the philosophical conclusion is that stem cell experiments are doomed to fail on their own terms, with scientists offering a sharp rebuttal. We diagnose this conflict as a cognitive obstacle to interdisciplinarity, grounded in divergent perspectives. We then propose a solution, building on recent work on scientific perspectivism.
