Conceptual resources are crucial for the attainment of knowledge and understanding, and they are potent tools of social and political influence. While the ability of concepts to aid and obstruct our thinking has been a recurring theme throughout the history of philosophy, discussions of concepts have little place in current epistemological debates. The Epistemic Significance of Concepts asks what makes for epistemically good concepts, whether in science or in everyday life. It investigates how social linguistic/conceptual practices and resources shape the thinking of individuals in epistemically significant ways. The project contributes to developing an overall, empirically informed view of concepts as knowledge facilitators. We engage with the general public to encourange critical reflection on the concepts deployed in public debates, education and policy-making.

2026

2031