Martin Kusch
Encyclopedia
Martin Kusch is Professor of philosophy at the University of Vienna
. Until 2009, Kusch was Professor of Philosophy
and Sociology of science at the Department of History and Philosophy of Science at Cambridge University. Prior to Cambridge, Kusch was Lecturer in the Science Studies
Unit of the University of Edinburgh
.
Kusch's wide-ranging contributions to philosophy reflect both systematic and historical interests and cut across traditional disciplinary divides. He has published in the philosophy of the social sciences, epistemology, philosophy of language
and mind, philosophy of the natural sciences, philosophy of technology
, and the history of German and Austrian philosophy.
Kusch has also made important contributions to science and technology studies
, particularly in the field of the sociology of scientific knowledge
.
In addition, Kusch has written on the history of science with a special reference to the history of German psychology
.
In 2005, he delivered the Leibniz Lectures at Leibniz University Hannover.
University of Vienna
The University of Vienna is a public university located in Vienna, Austria. It was founded by Duke Rudolph IV in 1365 and is the oldest university in the German-speaking world...
. Until 2009, Kusch was Professor of Philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
and Sociology of science at the Department of History and Philosophy of Science at Cambridge University. Prior to Cambridge, Kusch was Lecturer in the Science Studies
Science studies
Science studies is an interdisciplinary research area that seeks to situate scientific expertise in a broad social, historical, and philosophical context. It is concerned with the history of academic disciplines, the interrelationships between science and society, and the alleged covert purposes...
Unit of the University of Edinburgh
University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh, founded in 1583, is a public research university located in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The university is deeply embedded in the fabric of the city, with many of the buildings in the historic Old Town belonging to the university...
.
Kusch's wide-ranging contributions to philosophy reflect both systematic and historical interests and cut across traditional disciplinary divides. He has published in the philosophy of the social sciences, epistemology, philosophy of language
Philosophy of language
Philosophy of language is the reasoned inquiry into the nature, origins, and usage of language. As a topic, the philosophy of language for analytic philosophers is concerned with four central problems: the nature of meaning, language use, language cognition, and the relationship between language...
and mind, philosophy of the natural sciences, philosophy of technology
Philosophy of technology
The philosophy of technology is a philosophical field dedicated to studying the nature of technology and its social effects.- History :Considered under the rubric of the Greek term techne , the philosophy of technology goes to the very roots of Western philosophy.* In his Republic, Plato sees...
, and the history of German and Austrian philosophy.
Kusch has also made important contributions to science and technology studies
Science and technology studies
Science, technology and society is the study of how social, political, and cultural values affect scientific research and technological innovation, and how these, in turn, affect society, politics and culture...
, particularly in the field of the sociology of scientific knowledge
Sociology of scientific knowledge
The sociology of scientific knowledge ' is the study of science as a social activity, especially dealing "with the social conditions and effects of science, and with the social structures and processes of scientific activity."...
.
In addition, Kusch has written on the history of science with a special reference to the history of German psychology
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
.
In 2005, he delivered the Leibniz Lectures at Leibniz University Hannover.
Selected publications
- Einzelheit und Allgemeinheit: Einführung in die Philosophie G.W.F. Hegels, Reports from the Philosophy Department of the University of Jyväskylä (1984)
- Ymmärtämisen haaste (=The Challenge of Understanding: An Introduction to Hermeneutics, in Finnish), Pohjoinen (1986)
- co-authored with Jaakko HintikkaJaakko HintikkaKaarlo Jaakko Juhani Hintikka is a Finnish philosopher and logician.Hintikka was born in Vantaa. After teaching for a number of years at Florida State University, Stanford, University of Helsinki, and the Academy of Finland, he is currently Professor of Philosophy at Boston University...
), Kieli ja maailma (=Language and World, In Finnish), Pohjoinen (1988) - Language as Calculus vs. Language as Universal Medium: A Study in Husserl, Heidegger, and Gadamer, Kluwer (1989)
- Foucault's Strata and Fields: A Study in Archaeological and Genealogical Science Studies, Kluwer (1991)
- Psychologism: A Case Study in the Sociology of Philosophical Knowledge, Routledge (1995)
- co-authored with Harry M. Collins, The Shape of Actions: What Humans and Machines Can Do, MIT Press (1998)
- Psychological Knowledge: A Social History and Philosophy, Routledge (1999)
- (ed.), The Sociology of Philosophical Knowledge, Dordrecht: Kluwer (2000)
- Knowledge by Agreement: The Programme of Communitarian Epistemology, Oxford University Press (2002)
- A Sceptical Guide to Meaning and Rules: Defending Kripke's Wittgenstein, Acumen & McGill-Queen's (2006)