Epistémologie et éthique technologique

Conférence au Centre franco russe de Moscou, 20 septembre 2010Les nouvelles relations entre épistémologie et éthique dans les objets scientifiques contemporain

L'innovation responsable, discussion de la conférence de Pierre-Benoît Joly

National audienceComment penser l'innovation responsable du point de vue d'une épistémologie génériqu

Perspectives hétérodoxes de Russell sur la question des fondements

Le logicisme de Russell consiste en une thèse affirmant que toutes les mathématiques pures peuvent être exprimées à l’aide de constantes logiques et de variables. Il est compris habituellement comme une réduction des mathématiques pures à la logique. Pourtant cette thèse est une garantie de non-réduction des mathématiques au nombre et à la grandeur, de l’arithmétique aux seuls nombres finis, de la géométrie à celle d’Euclide, de la logique à la syllogistique. Le logicisme ne peut donc être interprété comme doctrine positive et dogmatique d’un fondement logique des mathématiques. L’œuvre philosophique de Russell poursuit par ailleurs une critique des thèmes liés aux fondements. L’ensemble des points de vues de Russell sur les liens de la lo­gique et des mathématiques ne peut être compris qu’en considérant la logique comme une science à part entière et non comme un langage formel. Cette façon d’aborder le logicisme fait voir des perspectives « hétérodoxes » auxquelles est amené Russell, qui n’est pas partout le « classique » que la littérature décrit trop vite. Cette lecture s’appuie notamment sur la correspondance récemment éditée entre Bertrand Russell et Louis Couturat (1897-1913).Russell’s logicism consists of a thesis stating that all pure mathematics can be expressed in terms of logical constants and variables. It is usually assumed to be a reduction of pure mathematics to logic. Yet this thesis is a guarantee for the non-reduction of mathematics to number and quantity, of arithmetic to finite numbers only, of geometry to the Euclidean one, and of logic to syllogistic reasoning. Thus logicism cannot be interpreted as a dogmatically asserted doctrine of a logical foundation of mathematics. Besides, Russell’s philosophical work develops a critique concerning the themes related to foundations. All of Russell’s points of view on the links between logic and mathematics can only be understood if logic is considered as a full-fledged science and not as a formal language. This way to deal with logicism enhances “heterodoxical” perspectives to which Russell is led. Indeed, he is not always the “classic” that scholars too promptly identify. The present in­terpretation notably relies on the recently published correspondence between Bertrand Russell and Louis Couturat (1897-1913)

Epistemology in a nutshell: Theory, model, simulation and Experiment

In the Western tradition, at least since the 14th century, the philosophy of knowledge has been built around the idea of knowledge as a representation [Boulnois 1999]. The question of the evaluation of knowledge refers at the same time (1) to the object represented (which one does one represent?), (2) to the process of knowledge formation, in particular with the role of the knowing subject (which one does one represent and how does one represent it?), and finally (3) to the relationship between the representation and the represented object. Criteria of evaluation such as “validity”, “adequacy” or “truth”, as mentioned in chapter 4, make sense only with respect to these three dimensions. An evaluation can thus (1) depend on the ontological nature of the object of knowledge, (2) relate to the relationship between subject and object—including the structures (cognitive, social) which organize this relationship, or (3) relate to the relation of similarity between the object and its representation as well. The relevant criteria of evaluation thus depend on the points of view adopted on these questions. As there are indeed a plurality of points of view in this field, the goal of this appendix is to summarize, as briefly as possible, the various positions adopted by the philosophers and to refer to the relevant texts of reference for more information. The first section introduces useful discussions about the philosophy of theoretical knowledge and general epistemology, from a quasi-historical perspective. Section two discusses the intermediary but central notion of models. Section three, more exploratory, intro-duces an approach to simulation as “concrete experiment”. It suggests that such a frequent claim in the literature, when precisely evaluated, can, to some extent, renew both the representational and the linguistic views on simulation

Presentation of Dogmatis, An Inter and Multidisciplinary Programme for the Assessment of the Impacts of Genetically Modified Fish, and Results About Risk of fortuitous Import on French Market

DOGMATIS is a research project funded by the French Research Agency (ANR, programme ANR-OGM 2007-2010). The transgenic technologies have been applied to fish since more than 20 years now and some strains are at the premarket or market stage in countries outside Europe. In Europe the main risk is a fortuitous import. Any rumour of uncontrolled arrival of GM fish on the European market may have strong impacts on the market chain, the research and innovation system and the trust in public regulation. The aim of DOGMATIS is to anticipate the answers. It associates specialists of fish transgenesis, GMO detection and regulation, fish market chain economy, consumer sociology and contemporary science philosophy and epistemology. To tackle this multifactorial subject, we developed original methodologies including assumptions based on the quantitative and qualitative knowledge from the different experts of DOGMATIS. We propose to present the programme and the results of our investigation concerning an assessments of the risk of fortuitous presence of GM Fish on the French market, which has been done by crossing the data from scientific literature gathered in a data bank and an expert analysis of filtered statistics of international trade, for the two farmed species concerned by transgenesis techniques and imported on the French market, salmon and tilapia.Keywords: Posters, Markets and Trade, Fisheries Economic

Estimating CDKN2A mutation carrier probability among global familial melanoma cases using GenoMELPREDICT

Background: Although rare in the general population, highly penetrant germline mutations in CDKN2A are responsible for 5%-40% of melanoma cases reported in melanoma-prone families. We sought to determine whether MELPREDICT was generalizable to a global series of families with melanoma and whether performance improvements can be achieved. Methods: In total, 2116 familial melanoma cases were ascertained by the international GenoMEL Consortium. We recapitulated the MELPREDICT model within our data (GenoMELPREDICT) to assess performance improvements by adding phenotypic risk factors and history of pancreatic cancer. We report areas under the curve (AUC) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) along with net reclassification indices (NRIs) as performance metrics. Results: MELPREDICT performed well (AUC 0.752, 95% CI 0.730-0.775), and GenoMELPREDICT performance was similar (AUC 0.748, 95% CI 0.726-0.771). Adding a reported history of pancreatic cancer yielded discriminatory improvement (P < .0001) in GenoMELPREDICT (AUC 0.772, 95% CI 0.750-0.793, NRI 0.40). Including phenotypic risk factors did not improve performance. Conclusion: The MELPREDICT model functioned well in a global data set of familial melanoma cases. Adding pancreatic cancer history improved model prediction. GenoMELPREDICT is a simple tool for predicting CDKN2A mutational status among melanoma patients from melanoma-prone families and can aid in directing these patients to receive genetic testing or cancer risk counseling

Time to Switch to Second-line Antiretroviral Therapy in Children With Human Immunodeficiency Virus in Europe and Thailand.

Background: Data on durability of first-line antiretroviral therapy (ART) in children with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are limited. We assessed time to switch to second-line therapy in 16 European countries and Thailand. Methods: Children aged <18 years initiating combination ART (≥2 nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors [NRTIs] plus nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor [NNRTI] or boosted protease inhibitor [PI]) were included. Switch to second-line was defined as (i) change across drug class (PI to NNRTI or vice versa) or within PI class plus change of ≥1 NRTI; (ii) change from single to dual PI; or (iii) addition of a new drug class. Cumulative incidence of switch was calculated with death and loss to follow-up as competing risks. Results: Of 3668 children included, median age at ART initiation was 6.1 (interquartile range (IQR), 1.7-10.5) years. Initial regimens were 32% PI based, 34% nevirapine (NVP) based, and 33% efavirenz based. Median duration of follow-up was 5.4 (IQR, 2.9-8.3) years. Cumulative incidence of switch at 5 years was 21% (95% confidence interval, 20%-23%), with significant regional variations. Median time to switch was 30 (IQR, 16-58) months; two-thirds of switches were related to treatment failure. In multivariable analysis, older age, severe immunosuppression and higher viral load (VL) at ART start, and NVP-based initial regimens were associated with increased risk of switch. Conclusions: One in 5 children switched to a second-line regimen by 5 years of ART, with two-thirds failure related. Advanced HIV, older age, and NVP-based regimens were associated with increased risk of switch

Big data and new flows of knowledge

International audienceBig data and:factsunknown of contemporary researchexperimental science

La notion de critique chez Couturat et ses effets dans sa philosophie des mathématiques

International audienceL’article met en évidence la façon de concevoir les relations entre philosophie et sciences chez Couturat et d’en voir les effets dans sa discussion des concepts de la critique kantienne. Pourtant l’idée de critique et sa fonction dans les relations entre philosophie et mathématiques sont restées identiques. L’article décrit cet invariant, montre son importance dans la philosophie des sciences de Couturat et évalue les conséquences de cette idée dans sa philosophie des mathématiques et sa pratique épistémologique

On Contemporary Objects

International audienceWhat does it mean to understand a contemporary object? It means to make a wager that cannot be entirely justified by the history of epistemology. But a wager that, nonetheless, is not merely arbitrary, that is not simply a conjecture or a figment of the imagination