Since its creation, the Higher Institute of Philosphy has placed the philosophy of science at the heart of its work, and particularly its dialogue with society at large. CEFISES (the Center for Philosophy of Science and Society) is charged with carrying out this mission, following its founder, Jean Ladrière, in analyzing science in both its epistemological and its social dimensions, via interdisciplinary questions that cross the sciences, logic, and philosophy.
In close contact with scientific disciplines (formal, natural, and social), CEFISES examines, using analytic methods, both fundamental philosophical problems and those which are more topical, linked to one or many specific fields. We thus explore the epistemological status, cognitive significance, and social influence of scientific models, and the diverse conceptions of humanity and nature which underlie them.
But scientific activity also contains an historical and social dimension, which the philosophy of science must take into account. For this reason, CEFISES is also focused on interactions between philosophy and history of science, as well as the impact of “technoscience” and new technology on contemporary society.
