Epistemic Pluralism & Astrobiology

Abstract

Astrobiology is a field that asks profound questions about the universe by simultaneously acquiring knowledge from multiple disciplines in order to propel us toward a better understanding of what life is, how it emerges, and if it exists beyond Earth. In this contribution, we examine the relationship between astrobiology and epistemic pluralism, a perspective developed by philosopher of science Paul Feyerabend that advocates for a worldview in which there are many valid ways of understanding a phenomenon. We appeal to epistemic pluralism to make three arguments regarding astrobiology, two that are internally facing (addressing the nature and advancement of astrobiology) and one that is externally facing (responding to critics of astrobiology). First, we show how astrobiology is a paradigmatic example of Feyerabend’s principle of proliferation, which encourages researchers to develop and seriously consider competing and incommensurable theories. The principle of proliferation is an essential driver of astrobiological progress, fueling the development of new conceptual frameworks, technologies, and methods for detecting signatures of life as we do not know it. Second, we make the case that an epistemological pluralist framework can also help expand astrobiology beyond mere scientific disciplines to encompass critical contributions from the humanities as well. Non-scientific sources of knowledge, such as ethical theory and Indigenous knowledge, can help progress astrobiological pursuits by providing additional insights and different ways of internalizing scientific results. Finally, we use epistemic pluralism to defend astrobiology’s legitimacy as a scientific field, which has been criticized in various ways: e.g., astrobiology has no proper field of study and deals with non-falsifiable hypotheses.