Prof. Dr. Uljana Feest


30159 Hannover


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Profile
Uljana Feest studied psychology, philosophy and history and philosophy of science (HPS) in Frankfurt, Bristol and Pittsburgh. After completing her psychology degree at the Goethe-Universität in Frankfurt (1994), she worked for a couple of years as a researcher in an interdisciplinary project at a Frankfurt-based research institute (Institut für Sozial-Oekologische Forschung), before taking up graduate work in philosophy of science. From 1997-2003 she was a graduate student at the Department of History and Philosophy of Science at the University of Pittsburgh, completing her dissertation, Operationism, Experimentation, and Concept Formation, in August 2003
From 2003-2006, Uljana Feest was a researcher at the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science (Berlin) and then held a position as assistant professor at the Technische Universität (TU) Berlin from 2006 to 2012. She has been a visiting researcher at the University of Pittsburg, the University of Michigan and the Max Planck Institute for Human Development (Berlin). Since March 2014, she is professor of philosophy at the Leibniz University of Hannover, where she holds the chair for Philosophy of Social Science and Social Philosophy.
Main Areas of Research and Teaching
General philosophy of science
Epistemology of experiment
Philosophy and history of psychology and the human sciences
History of analytical philosophy and of philosophy of science
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Publications
Monographies
In preparation
Feest, U., Operationism and the Epistemology of Discovery in Experimental Psychology Edited Volumes
2017
Adams, A.; Biener, Z.; Feest; U. & Sullivan, J. (Eds.), 2017, Oppure Si Mouve: Doing History and Philosophy of Science with Peter Machamer. The Western Ontario Series in Philosophy of Science. Dordrecht: Springer. 2012
Feest, U. (Ed.), 2012, "Current Topics in the Philosophy of the Human Sciences," Inquiry, 55(1), Sonderheft. Feest, U. & Steinle, F., (Eds.), Scientific Concepts and Investigative Practice. Berlin: DeGruyter. 2011
Feest, U. & Sturm, T. (Eds.), 2011, "What (Good) is Historical Epistemology?" Erkenntnis 75 (special edition).
2010
Feest, U., (Ed.), 2010, Historical Perspectives on Erklären and Verstehen. Dordrecht: Springer. 320
Articles in Peer-Reviewed Journals
2020 Feest, U., 2020, “Construct Validity in Psychological Tests – The Case of Implicit Social Cognition” European Journal for the Philosophy of Science (in press: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13194-019-0270-8) 2019a Feest, U., 2019a, “Why Replication is Overrated”. Philosophy of Science 86(5), 895-905. 2019b Feest, U., 2019b, "Gestalt Psychology, Frontloading Phenomenology, and Psychophysics." Synthese (in press). 2017
Feest, U., 2017, "Phenomena and Objects of Research in the Cognitive and Behavioral Sciences." Philosophy of Science, (in press).
2016
Feest, U.,2016, "The Experimenters’ Regress Reconsidered: Tacit Knowledge, Skepticism, and the Dynamics of Knowledge Generation". Studies in History and Philosophy of Science 58, 34-54.
2014
Feest, U., 2014, "Phenomenal Experiences, First-Person Methods, and the Artificiality of Experimental Data." Philosophy of Science 81, 927-939.
2012a
Feest, U., 2012a, "Introspection as a Method and Introspection as a Feature of Consciousness." Inquiry 55(1), 1-16.
2012b
Feest, U., 2012b, "Husserl’s Crisis as a Crisis of Psychology." Studies in the History and Philosophy of Biological and Biomedical Science 43(2): 493-503.
2011a
Feest, U., 2011a, "Remembering (Short-Term) Memory. Oscillations of an Epistemic Thing." Erkenntnis 75, 391–411.
2011b
Feest, U., 2011b, "What Exactly is Stabilized When Phenomena are Stabilized?" Synthese 182(1), 57-71.
2011c
Feest, U. & Sturm, T., 2011c, "What (Good) is Historical Epistemology?" In T. Sturm & U. Feest (eds.), Sonderheft von Erkenntnis, Historical Epistemology. Erkenntnis 75, 285–302.
2010
Feest, U., 2010, "Concepts as Tools in the Experimental Generation of Knowledge in Cognitive Neuropsychology." Spontaneous Generations: A Journal for the History and Philosophy of Science, 4(1), 173-190.
2007a
Feest, U. 2007a, "'Hypotheses, Everywhere Only Hypotheses!' On Some Contexts of Dilthey's Critique of Explanatory Psychology". Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part C: Studies in History and Philosophy of Biological and Biomedical Sciences 38(1), 43-62.
2007b
Feest, U., 2007b, "Science and Experience - Science of Experience: Gestalt Psychology and the Anti-Metaphysical Project of the Aufbau". Perspectives on Science 15(1), 38-62.
2005
Feest, U., 2005, "Operationism in Psychology - What the Debate is About, What the Debate Should Be About". Journal for the History of the Behavioral Sciences, XLI(2), 131-150. [Portugiesische Übersetzung: "O Operacionismo na Psicologie: Sobre o que é o Debate, sobre o que Deveria Ser o Debate." In Saulo de Fraitas Araujo (ed.) (2012), História e Filosofia da Psichologia. Perspectivas Contemporâneas, Juiz de Fora: UFJF, 259-296]
2003 Feest, U., 2003, "Functional Analysis and the Autonomy of Psychology." Philosophy of Science, 70(5), December 2003, 937-948.
Articles in Edited Volumes
Accepted
Feest, U.: "Quantifying Gestalt Qualities: Modernism and the Measurement of Experience". In M. Epple & F. Müller, (Eds.), Science as Cultural Practice. Vol. II: Modernism in the Sciences, ca 1900-1940. Berlin: De Gruyter, forthcoming.
In Press Feest, U. (in press), “Carnaps Verhältnis zur Psychologie.” In Christian Damböck and Gereon Wolters (eds.): Young Carnap in an Historical Context: 1918-1935/Der junge Carnap im historischen Kontext: 1918-1935. Veröffentlichungen des Instituts Wiener Kreis, Dordrecht: Springer. 2017a
Feest, U., 2017a, "Physicalism, Introspection, and Psychophysics: The Carnap/Duncker Exchange". In Adams, A.; Biener, Z.; Feest; U. & Sullivan, J (Eds.), Oppure Si Mouve: Doing History and Philosophy of Science with Peter Machamer. The Western Ontario Series in Philosophy of Science. Dordrecht: Springer, 113-125.
2017b
Feest, U., 2017b, "Philosophie der Psychologie." Beitrag zum Band Philosophie der Einzelwissenschaften (Herausgegeben von Simon Lohse und Thomas Reydon, Hamburg: Meiner-Verlag), 475-509.
2016
Feest, U. & Steinle, F., 2016, "Experiment." Beitrag zum Oxford Handbook of Philosophy of Science (Herausgegeben von Paul Humphreys), 275-295.
2014
Feest, U., 2014, "The Enduring Relevance of 19th-Century Philosophy of Psychology: Brentano and the Autonomy of Psychology." Tagungsband zum Philosophy of Science in a European Perspective. (Herausgegeben von Thomas Uebel), Dordrecht: Springer.
2012
Feest, U., 2012, "Exploratory Experiments, Concept Formation and Theory Construction in Psychology." In U. Feest & F. Steinle (Eds.), Scientific Concepts and Investigative Practice. Berlin: de Gruyter, 167-189.
Feest, U. & Steinle, F., 2012, "Scientific Concepts and Investigative Practice: Introduction." In U. Feest & F. Steinle (Eds.), Scientific Concepts and Investigative Practice. Berlin: de Gruyter, 1-23.
2010
Feest, U., 2010, "Historical Perspectives on Erklären and Verstehen: Introduction". In U. Feest (Ed.): Historical Perspectives on Erklären and Verstehen. Dordrecht: Springer, 1-13.
2005
Feest, U., 2005, "Giving Up Instincts In Psychology - Or Not?" In B. Gómez- Zúñiga & A. Mülberger (Eds.): Recent Contributions to the History of the Human Sciences. München: Profil-Verlag, 242-259.
2002
Feest, U., 2002, "Die Konstruktion von Bewußtsein. Eine psychologiehistorische Fallstudie". In Claus Zittel (Ed.): Wissen und soziale Konstruktion. Berlin: Akademie-Verlag, 129-153.
Reviews
2018
Feest, U., 2018, "Deutscher Empirismus. Studien zur Philosophie im deutschsprachigen Raum 1830-1930, by Christian Damböck." HOPOS: The Journal of the International Society for the History of Philosophy of Science 8, 480-485.
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Selected Talks
Since 2010
Commentaries
Commentary on talks at the workshop at Workshop Replication of Crises: Psychology in Times of Epistemic Upheaval. Lübeck, September 19-20, 2019. Commentary as part of a book session about Stephen Turner (2018) Cognitive Science and the Social. A Primer. At the Joint meeting of the European Network for the Philosophy of the Social Sciences/The Philosophy of Social Science Roundtable, Hannover Germany, August 30-September 1, 2018. Commentary on Markus Eronen: ‘Science without levels’. Workshop: Patterns in Science. Berlin Mind & Brain School, December 2015 (with Sheldon Chow). Commentary on paper by Catherine Stinson at workshop Explaining Mental Phenomena. Center for Integrative Neuroscience, University of Tübingen, July 24, 2012. Commentary on session “Operationalism in the Life Sciences. Third Biennial Conference of the Society for the Philosophy of Science in Practice. Exeter, June 2011. "Commentary on paper by Corinne Bloch". Workshop Concepts, Induction, and the Growth of Scientific Knowledge, Pittsburgh, 17-19 September 2010
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Teaching
Leibniz Universität Hannover
Winter Semester 2019/20 - Sabbatical
Summer Semester 2019 - Lecture class: History of Philosophy II (Vorlesung: Geschichte der Philosophie)
- Seminar (BA): Kant’s Prolegomena (Kants Prolegomena)
- Seminar (MA): Robustness Examined (in English)
Winter Semester 2018/19 - Lecture class: Topics in Philosophy of Psychology and Philosophy of Mind (in English)
- Seminar (MA): Taxonomy and Concept Formation in Psychology (in English)
- Seminar (BA): Wilhelm Dilthey and the Foundations of the Human sciences (Wilhelm Dilthey und die Grundlagen der Geisteswissenschaften)
Summer Semester 2018 - Lecture class: History of Philosophy II (Vorlesung: Geschichte der Philosophie II)
- Reading course: History of Philosophy II (Lektüreseminar: Geschichte der Philosophie II)
- Seminar (MA): Animal Cognition (in English)
- Seminar (MA): Integrated History and Philosophy of Science (in English)
- Seminar (BA): Philosophy of Education (Bildungsphilosophie)
- Colloquium for Philosophy (with Mathias Frisch) (Kolloquium für Philosophie und Wissenschaftsreflexion)
Winter Semester 2017/18
- Lecture class (MA): Philosophy of Experiment (in English)
- Seminar (MA): Tacit Knowledge (in English)
- Seminar: Husserl‘s Crisis of the European Sciences (Husserls Krise der europäischen Wissenschaften)
- Seminar: Women in Philosophy (Frauen in der Philosophie)
- Colloquium for Philosophy (with Mathias Frisch) (Kolloquium für Philosophie und Wissenschaftsreflexion)
Summer Semester 2017
- Lecture class (MA): Philosophy of Psychology (in English)
- Seminar (MA): Special Topics in the Philosophy of Psychology (in English)
- Lecture class: Geschichte der Philosophie II
- Lecture seminar: Geschichte der Philosophie II
Winter Semester 2016/17
- Historische Texte zu Erklären und Verstehen
Summer Semester 2016
- Lecture class: Geschichte der Philosophie II
- Lecture seminar Geschichte der Philosophie
- Seminar (MA): Der Begriff der Beobachtung in der Philosophie des 20. Jahrhunderts
- Seminar (MA): Feministische Erkenntnistheorie (mit fachdidaktischen Anteilen)
Winter Semester 2015/16
- Lecture class: Philosophie des Experiments
- Seminar (MA): Tierpsychologie
- Seminar (BA): Erkenntnistheorie in Schulbüchern
- Colloquium: Research Seminar of the Institute of Philosophy
Summer Semester 2015
- Lecture Course: Geschichte der Philosophie II
- Seminar (MA): Introspektion, Subjektivität und phänomenales Bewusstsein
- Seminar (BA): Bildungsphilosophie
- Seminar (MA): Wissen, Können, Praxis II
- Colloquium: „Philosophie und Wissenschaftsreflexion“
Winter Semester 2014/15
- Lecture Course: Philosophie der Psychologie (Aufbauvorlesungen für den Masterstudiengang Wissenschaftsphilosophie)
- Seminar (BA): Frauen in der Philosophie
- Seminar (MA): Wissen, Können, Praxis I
- Colloquium: „Philosophie und Wissenschaftsreflexion“
Summer Semester 2014
- Lecture class: Geschichte der Philosophie II
- Seminar (BA): Philosophie des Experiments
- Seminar (BA): Geschichte der Philosophie seit Kant
- Seminar (MA): Philosophie der Psychologie
Guest Professor at the University of Michigan
Summer Semester 2013
- Lecture Course: History of Psychology
Winter Semester 2012/13
- Lecture Course: History of Psychology
- Seminar: How Science Works
Technische Universität Berlin
Summer Semester 2012
- Seminar (BA): Einführung in die Wissenschafts- und Bioethik
- Seminar (MA): Ausgewählte Themen der Philosophie der Psychologie und Neurowissenschaften
- Seminar (MA): Die Dynamik wissenschaftlicher Begriffe (gemeinsam mit Friedrich Steinle)
Winter Semester 2011/12
- Seminar (MA): Philosophie der (Psychologie und) Neurowissenschaften
Summer Semester 2011
- Seminar (MA): Wichtige Texte der (analytischen) Erkenntnistheorie
- Seminar (MA): BA: Hauptprobleme der Wissenschaftstheorie. Eine Einführung
Winter Semester 2010/11
- Seminar (MA): Introspektion und die Wissenschaft des Bewusstseins: neuere Texte
- Seminar (MA)BA: Probleme des induktiven Argumentierens und der Wahrscheinlichkeit
Summer Semester 2010
- Seminar (MA): Introspektion und die Wissenschaft des Bewusstseins: historische Debatten
Winter Semester 2008/09
- Seminar (BA): Einführung in die Wissenschafts- und Bioethik (mit Tutorium)
- MA/HS: Ist der Schluss auf die beste Erklärung immer der beste Schluss?
Summer Semester 2008
- Seminar (BA): Probleme des induktiven Argumentierens und der Wahrscheinlichkeit (mit Tutorium)
- Seminar (MA): Thomas Kuhn und die Historisierung des Wissens
Winter Semester 2007/08
- Lecture Course: Einführung in die Wissenschaftstheorie (mit Tutorial)
- Seminar (MA): Ausgewählte Texte der Wissenschaftstheorie der Psychologie und Biologie
Summer Semester 2007
- Seminar (BA): Die Philosophie des wissenschaftlichen Experiments
- Seminar (MA): Erfahrung, Empfindung, Wahrnehmung um 1900
Winter Semester 2006/7
- Seminar (BA): Einführung in die Wissenschaftstheorie
- Seminar (MA): Hermann Lotze
Summer Semester 2006
- Seminar (BA): Der Begriff der Beobachtung in der Philosophie des 20. Jahrhunderts
Further teaching
5.-16- Juli 2010
Lecturer at the Vienna International Summer University (VISU). Course topic: "The Science of the Conscious Mind"
WiSe 2005/06
Lectureship at the Freien Universität Berlin
1998-2005
Teaching Assistant and Teaching Fellow at the University of Pittsburgh
1994-1997
Philosophy tutor at the Goethe-Universität Frankfurt
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Academic Service and Memberships
Since July 2018: Member of the Board of the Committee for Integrated HPS. Member of the Program Committee of the 2016 and 2018 meetings of the European Network of Philosophy of Science (ENPOSS). Program committee chair for the 2018 meeting of The Evolution of Knowledge: &HPS7, Hannover, Germany. Seit January 2016: Member of the Commitee for Integrated HPS (History and Philosophy of Science) Since July 2013: Member of the Board of the Gesellschaft für Wissenschaftsphilosophie (GWP). 2007-2012: Member of the Executive Board of the European Society for the History of the Human Sciences (ESHHS).
2005-2012: Member of the Editorial Board of the Journal for the History of the Behavioral Sciences (JHBS).
On the program committee for the conference of the International Society for the History of the Philosophy of Science (HOPOS) in Halifax, Canada, June 2012.
On the program committee for the conference of the European Society for the History of the Human Sciences (ESHHS) in Belgrade, Serbia, July 2011 und Montreal, Canada, July 2012.
Member of the 2010/2011 Executive Board European Society for the History of the Human Sciences (ESHHS).
On the program committee for the conference of the European Philosophy of Science Association (EPSA) in Athens, October 2011. Member of the Philosophy of Science Association (PSA).
Member of the International Society for the History of the Philosophy of Science (HOPOS).
Member of the Gesellschaft für analytische Philosophie (GAP).
Member of the Gesellschaft für Wissenschaftsgeschichte (GeWiGe).
Gutachtertätigkeiten für verschiedene Zeitschriften und Stiftungen.
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Organisation of Workshops and Conferences
Co-organization of the conference "Replication of Crises: Psychology in Times of Epistemic Upheaval.", Lübeck, September 19-20, 2019. Organizing Institutions: Leibniz Center for Science and Society (University of Hannover) & Institute for the History of Medicine and Science Studies, Department of Psychology (University of Lübeck). Organization and host of the conference "2018 Joint meeting of the European Network for the Philosophy of the Social Sciences/The Philosophy of Social Science Roundtable", Hannover Germany, August 30-September 1, 2018. Co-organization and host of the Conference "The Evolution of Knowledge - &HPS7: Integrated History and Philosophy of Science, 7th conference", Hannover, Germany, June 5-7, 2018. (with Ohad Parnes vom MPI for the History of Science). Organization of the 2015 Leibniz Lectures: Prof. Owen Flanagan (Duke): “The Geography of Morals: Varieties of Moral Possibility,” June 2015. Workshop in Honor of James Bogen, Center for Philosophy of Science, University of Pittsburgh, March 2015 (with Holly Andersen, Brian Keeley & Peter Machamer).
"Current Topics in the Philosophy of the Human Science", June 18-19, 2010.
"Scientific Concepts", 22-23 May, 2009 (with Friedrich Steinle).
"What (Good) is Historical Epistemology?" (with Thomas Sturm), July 24-26, 2008.
"Generating Experimental Knowledge" (with Giora Hon, Hans-Jörg Rheinberger, Jutta Schickore & Friedrich Steinle). International conference at the Bergischen Universität Wuppertal, June 14-16, 2007.
"Historical Perspectives on Erklären and Verstehen: An Interdisciplinary Workshop". Max-Planck Institut für Wissenschaftsgeschichte. June 9-11, 2006.
"Generating Knowledge with the Microscope". Max-Planck Institut für Wissenschaftsgeschichte (with Jutta Schickore). June 23-24, 2006.
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Scholarships and Prizes
2011-2012
Visiting Fellow, Center for Philosophy of Science, University of Pittsburgh.
2003
Recipient of the Early Career Award, from the European Society for the History of the Human Sciences (ESHHS) und the Journal for the History of the Behavioral Sciences (JHBS)
2003-2004
Postdoctoral scholarship for the Max-Planck-Institut für Wissenschaftsgeschichte (Prof. Rheinberger's department)
2002-2003
Andrew Mellon pre-doctoral fellowship (University of Pittsburgh)
1997-1998
DAAD scholarship for a visit at the Department for History and Philosophy of Science, University of Pittsburgh