Read all about our main research project.
‘The Epistemic Responsibilities of the University’
September 1st, 2016 - August 31th, 2019
Main Research Questions
- What are the epistemic values that modern universities ought to uphold?
- What responsibilities flow from these?
- How can universities meet these responsibilities in the face of contemporary challenges?
Three normative hypotheses
- The primary values that the university should uphold are epistemic values, i.e. values having to do with truth, knowledge, justified and rational belief, insight, understanding, wisdom
- The epistemic values of the university include not only values having to do with research, but also with teaching and intellectual character formation
- One important, albeit widely disdained, epistemic responsibility of the university is to cultivate humanistic learning
Four assumptions
- Values are real
- Responsibilities are grounded in values; epistemic responsibilities are grounded in epistemic values
- The mission of the university requires articulation, nourishment, invigoration, and clear-headed defense
- Many discussions concerning the task and mission of the university are philosophical in nature
