Summary
I primarily work on social epistemology, with a focus on using formal methods to understand how the social structure of science affects our ability to produce and disseminate knowledge. To illustrate the sort of questions that arise in this field: I have explored how the incentive structure created by the system of allocating credit in science may induce scientists to commit fraud, and how systematically different expectations of communal scrutiny of one's work may lead women scientists to publish less than men scientists. In these projects, the goal has been to integrate results drawn from the empirical study of science and scientists, the modelling tools that have been developed in formal social epistemology, and insights drawn from the philosophy of science. This synthesis allows for the identification and explanation of phenomena that may otherwise have escaped the notice of philosophers of science and other science scholars. An emerging theme in this area of my research has been the surprising and subtle ways that the inegalitarian organisation of epistemic communities can harm the quest for knowledge. Over at my blog I maintain a reading list of papers (not all of them by me!) which contain various arguments against meritocratic hierarchies in particular. Though I think many of the arguments really speak against any sort of hierarchy in epistemic communities, I find that in academia it is meritocratic hierarchies that have the most popular support.
I have also worked on the demographics of philosophy, with a focus on the numbers and status of black philosophers, and the epistemic significance of demographic diversity. Together with co-authors from the Society of Young Black Philosophers I have published a paper on the numbers of black philosophers, as well as their (our!) distribution across subfields, departments, and career stages. Here's a blog post I authored about the publication habits of black philosophers, using the data we gathered in the 2014 study. I am currently working with some other co-authors on a paper which explores hypotheses concerning the factors which affect the rate at which black undergraduates choose to pursue majors in philosophy. Work on demographics has important epistemic implications, and hence I do not consider this an entirely distinct area of research from the aforementioned social epistemology. However, this is not a purely theoretical interest of mine. I am proud to have served as one of the founding leadership team for the Minorities and Philosophy organisation, and have dedicated much time and attention to addressing issues surrounding the under-representation of various groups in philosophy.
There is a third broad area of research I work in, motivated by the observation that my first two project areas both involve the application of methods characteristic of both analytic philosophy and the social sciences. As a philosopher, I consider it incumbent upon me to critically examine the tools that I make use of. As such, I have an interest in meta-philosophy and questions in methodology of the social sciences. One expression of this has been my work exploring connections between Africana philosophy and formal philosophy; I think I may be the world's only Formal Africana Philosopher! This has so far resulted in two papers. First, a co-authored paper formalising and defending Du Bois' deployment and advocacy of methodological pluralism in the social sciences. Second, a co-authored paper attempting to give a causal-statistical interpretation of various ideas about intersectionality that have arose in the Black Feminist tradition, and which I hope can be fruitfully applied to various questions in social epistemology of science. I hope that this work will facilitate more general appreciation for the breadth and depth of the philosophical resources available in the tradition of Africana philosophy.
Published Papers
Cailin O'Connor, Liam Kofi Bright, Justin Bruner. Forthcoming. The Emergence of Intersectional Disadvantage in Social Epistemology
Liam Kofi Bright. 2018. ``Du Bois' Democratic Defence of the Value Free Ideal.'' In Synthese Vol.195, No. 5; 2227--2245
Liam Kofi Bright, Haixin Dang and Remco Heesen. 2018. ``A Role For Judgement Aggregation In Coauthoring Papers.'' In Erkenntnis Vol.83, No.2; 231--252
Liam Kofi Bright. 2017. ``Logical Empiricists on Race.'' In Studies in the History and Philosophy of Science: Part C Vol. 65, No.1; 9--18.
Remco Heesen, Liam Kofi Bright, Andrew Zucker. Forthcoming. ``Vindicating Methodological Triangulation.'' in Synthese
Liam Kofi Bright. 2017. ``Decision Theoretic Model of the Productivity Gap." in Erkenntnis Vol. 82, No.2; 421 -- 442
Liam Kofi Bright. 2017. ``On Fraud." in Philosophical Studies Vol. 174, No. 2; 291 -- 310
Liam Kofi Bright, Daniel Malinsky, and Morgan Thompson. 2016. ``Causally Interpreting Intersectionality Theory.'' in Philosophy of Science Vol. 83, No. 1; 60 -- 81
Tina Fernandes Botts, Liam Kofi Bright, Myisha Cherry, Guntur Mallarangeng, and Quayshawn Spencer. 2014. ``What is the State of Blacks in Philosophy?'' in Critical Philosophy of Race Vol 2. No. 2; 224 -- 242
I primarily work on social epistemology, with a focus on using formal methods to understand how the social structure of science affects our ability to produce and disseminate knowledge. To illustrate the sort of questions that arise in this field: I have explored how the incentive structure created by the system of allocating credit in science may induce scientists to commit fraud, and how systematically different expectations of communal scrutiny of one's work may lead women scientists to publish less than men scientists. In these projects, the goal has been to integrate results drawn from the empirical study of science and scientists, the modelling tools that have been developed in formal social epistemology, and insights drawn from the philosophy of science. This synthesis allows for the identification and explanation of phenomena that may otherwise have escaped the notice of philosophers of science and other science scholars. An emerging theme in this area of my research has been the surprising and subtle ways that the inegalitarian organisation of epistemic communities can harm the quest for knowledge. Over at my blog I maintain a reading list of papers (not all of them by me!) which contain various arguments against meritocratic hierarchies in particular. Though I think many of the arguments really speak against any sort of hierarchy in epistemic communities, I find that in academia it is meritocratic hierarchies that have the most popular support.
I have also worked on the demographics of philosophy, with a focus on the numbers and status of black philosophers, and the epistemic significance of demographic diversity. Together with co-authors from the Society of Young Black Philosophers I have published a paper on the numbers of black philosophers, as well as their (our!) distribution across subfields, departments, and career stages. Here's a blog post I authored about the publication habits of black philosophers, using the data we gathered in the 2014 study. I am currently working with some other co-authors on a paper which explores hypotheses concerning the factors which affect the rate at which black undergraduates choose to pursue majors in philosophy. Work on demographics has important epistemic implications, and hence I do not consider this an entirely distinct area of research from the aforementioned social epistemology. However, this is not a purely theoretical interest of mine. I am proud to have served as one of the founding leadership team for the Minorities and Philosophy organisation, and have dedicated much time and attention to addressing issues surrounding the under-representation of various groups in philosophy.
There is a third broad area of research I work in, motivated by the observation that my first two project areas both involve the application of methods characteristic of both analytic philosophy and the social sciences. As a philosopher, I consider it incumbent upon me to critically examine the tools that I make use of. As such, I have an interest in meta-philosophy and questions in methodology of the social sciences. One expression of this has been my work exploring connections between Africana philosophy and formal philosophy; I think I may be the world's only Formal Africana Philosopher! This has so far resulted in two papers. First, a co-authored paper formalising and defending Du Bois' deployment and advocacy of methodological pluralism in the social sciences. Second, a co-authored paper attempting to give a causal-statistical interpretation of various ideas about intersectionality that have arose in the Black Feminist tradition, and which I hope can be fruitfully applied to various questions in social epistemology of science. I hope that this work will facilitate more general appreciation for the breadth and depth of the philosophical resources available in the tradition of Africana philosophy.
Published Papers
Cailin O'Connor, Liam Kofi Bright, Justin Bruner. Forthcoming. The Emergence of Intersectional Disadvantage in Social Epistemology
Liam Kofi Bright. 2018. ``Du Bois' Democratic Defence of the Value Free Ideal.'' In Synthese Vol.195, No. 5; 2227--2245
Liam Kofi Bright, Haixin Dang and Remco Heesen. 2018. ``A Role For Judgement Aggregation In Coauthoring Papers.'' In Erkenntnis Vol.83, No.2; 231--252
Liam Kofi Bright. 2017. ``Logical Empiricists on Race.'' In Studies in the History and Philosophy of Science: Part C Vol. 65, No.1; 9--18.
Remco Heesen, Liam Kofi Bright, Andrew Zucker. Forthcoming. ``Vindicating Methodological Triangulation.'' in Synthese
Liam Kofi Bright. 2017. ``Decision Theoretic Model of the Productivity Gap." in Erkenntnis Vol. 82, No.2; 421 -- 442
Liam Kofi Bright. 2017. ``On Fraud." in Philosophical Studies Vol. 174, No. 2; 291 -- 310
Liam Kofi Bright, Daniel Malinsky, and Morgan Thompson. 2016. ``Causally Interpreting Intersectionality Theory.'' in Philosophy of Science Vol. 83, No. 1; 60 -- 81
Tina Fernandes Botts, Liam Kofi Bright, Myisha Cherry, Guntur Mallarangeng, and Quayshawn Spencer. 2014. ``What is the State of Blacks in Philosophy?'' in Critical Philosophy of Race Vol 2. No. 2; 224 -- 242