The Institute for Social Sciences is delighted to host a special seminar aimed at fostering scholarly exchange on a thought-provoking topic. We invite your active participation and interest in the upcoming event for the second semester of 2024.
< Statistics and Scientific Justification: A Philosophical Exploration >
Statistics occupies a privileged position in modern science as a principled framework for numerically justifying empirical hypotheses based on data. However, such inductive reasoning inevitably relies on philosophical assumptions about the nature of the object of inquiry and how it can be known. The first half of this talk examines the ontological and epistemological foundations underlying traditional statistical frameworks, namely the Bayesian and Frequentist approaches. Philosophical exploration helps us understand not only the essence of these methodologies but also the challenges and pitfalls they encounter.
In the second half, we will shift our focus to the evolving role of statistics in contemporary scientific practice. AI-powered methodologies are increasingly poised to assume the justificatory role that statistics traditionally held throughout the 20th century. Deep neural networks surpass conventional statistical techniques in handling extraordinarily complex and high-dimensional data with remarkable efficiency and adaptability. However, this capability comes at the cost of increased opacity. We will examine how the adoption of such powerful yet opaque methods impacts the scientific ideals of rationality, objectivity, understandability, and its function as a public good.
Details:
- Speaker: Jun Otsuka (Kyoto University)
- Moderator: Professor Son Yoon-kyu (Department of Sociology)
- Date and Time: Thursday, December 19, 2024, 12:00 – 2:00 PM
- Location: Faculty Meeting Room, Social Sciences Building (Building 16, Room 312)
- Note: A light meal will be provided during the seminar.
Contact:
- Email: css@snu.ac.kr
- Phone: 02-880-5475
We look forward to your participation and support for the Institute for Social Sciences.
For more information, visit: https://www.snu.or.kr/new/?page_id=9925&fund_id=33382