The Summer School The Aim and Structure of Cosmological Theory will take place at
USI, Lugano (Switzerland) from 23 to 27 June 2025 and will be taught by
Chris Smeenk (Western Ontario) and Jim Weatherall (UC Irvine).
Deadline for applications: February 15, 2025
A number of challenging questions arise in contemporary cosmology, and philosophers can contribute constructively to answering them. In what sense is cosmology a “special case,” in terms of its aims, the nature of cosmological theories, or the ability to establish
theories empirically? What, if anything, constrains theorizing about the early universe or regions of space and time that are beyond our observational ken? These and other questions will be tackled at the summer school, whose organizing theme is the forthcoming
book by Smeenk & Weatherall The Aim and Structure of Cosmological Theory.
How to apply: Application is open to graduate students and early career researchers. Please send a copy of your CV, a one-page motivation letter and a reference letter from a supervisor or colleague to
summerschool.isfi@usi.ch.
Accepted participants will have the possibility to send a short abstract for consideration to present some of their research at the summer school.
The Summer School will be part of a series of events in the metaphysics of science and philosophy of physics in Lugano. These include the
Annual Conference of the Society for the Metaphysics of Science, to be held at USI, Lugano, June 30 - July 2 2025. More information at
https://socmetsci.org/2025