As a philosopher of the social and historical sciences I am interested in understanding how we know what we (think) we know, especially in archaeology and feminist social science, and in addressing questions of accountability that arise in research practice. I work on such questions as: What counts as evidence? Are ideals of objectivity viable given the central role that contextual values play in all aspects of inquiry? How do we make research accountable – in its aims and its practice – to the diverse communities it affects?
Keywords: Philosophy of the social and historical sciences; feminist philosophy of science; history and philosophy of archaeology; ethics issues in the social sciences
- “Philosophy from the Ground Up”: Dewey Lecture, Pacific Division of the American Philosophical Association, Proceedings and Addresses of the APA 91(November 2017): 118-136.
- Evidential Reasoning in Archaeology, co-authored with Robert Chapman, Bloomsbury Academic Publishing, London, 2016. http://www.bloomsbury.com/us/evidential-reasoning-in-archaeology-9781472528933/.
- Material Evidence: Learning from Archaeological Practice, co-edited with Robert Chapman, Routledge, London, 2015. http://material-evidence.net/.
- “A Plurality of Pluralisms: Collaborative Practice in Archaeology”: in Objectivity in Science: New Perspectives from Science and Technology Studies, edited by Flavia Padovani, Alan Richardson, and Jonathan Y. Tsou, Springer, 2015, pp. 189-210.
- “Feminist Philosophy of Science: Standpoint Matters,” Presidential Address, American Philosophical Association, Pacific Division: in Proceedings and Addresses of the APA, 86.2 (2012): 47-76.
- “The Promise and Perils of an Ethic of Stewardship,” Embedding Ethics, edited by Lynn Meskell and Peter Pells, Berg Press, London, 2005, pp. 47-68.
Alison Wylie, Department of Philosophy
Professor (B.A. Mount Allison University, MA and Ph.D. State University of New York at Binghamton)
Office: Buchanan E276
Telephone: (604) 822-6574
Email: alison.wylie@ubc.ca
Website: www.alisonwylie.net
