Philosophy of the Field, in the Field: Philosophy of Science Association 2020/2021 Presidential Address

Abstract

Recent advocates of field philosophy make the case that philosophy needs to get outside more often; alongside disciplinary modes of practice we should cultivate philosophical work that is consequential in real-world, practical terms. This takes a number of different forms, many of them captured by a framework for analyzing engaged philosophy of science proposed by Plaisance and Elliott. I draw on three examples of field-engaged philosophy of science that address the legacies of settler-colonialism archaeology to illustrate the promise of field philosophy.