Game on for Modernity? Educating Ph.D. Students Beyond a Modern Conception of Science

Abstract

The Onlife Manifesto presents the idea that the modern conceptions of science have become outdated. However, the question mark in the Onlife Manifesto’s “Game over for modernity?” reveals that the journey away from the Modern conception of science could be a long one. The point of departure for this chapter is a reflection on some of the crucial developments in science and the needed addressing of educating researchers required if we are to make it to a “Game over for Modernity”. Our research objective relates to the education of research students, and we will ask the question: How can we educate the next generations of researchers to become reflective about doing science in modernity and beyond? We will discuss this question through a focus on our own educational practices with science and engineering PhD students gathered from the course “Theories of Science”. There are substantial indications from this course that a modern conception of science is still thriving, and we will discuss how and why this conception can be confronted philosophically and educationally to avoid a full “game on” for modernity.