Presentations by Streams

The spread of post-truth in its populist use and the wide-scale propaganda during the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine sharply exacerbated the fundamental dilemma of the Academia and scientific work as such: the dilemma between ‘pursuing the objective truth’ and the positionality of a scholar; between research results reliability and responsibility for personal words and actions. The challenge of this choice is crucial in social sciences and humanities.
Dramatic political events, severe ideological pressure from the state and increasing censorship are deeply affecting the scientific, educational and public aspects of the life of Academia. They urge to resist the ideological pressure, to establish reliable methods and approaches, to make clearer self-reflection, to be aware of previously half-hidden value biases, to search for forms of adequate transfer of knowledge to students, to uphold the scientific truth, to resist to lies and propaganda in the public sphere. One way or another, it is necessary to rethink the very concepts of academic truth, objectivity and neutrality, if possible, their preservation, but with the rejection of their distanced, value-free interpretation.
Participants of the panel will discuss both general theoretical issues related to the problem of "science as a profession" in its today understanding and specific situations when dramatic political events and military conflicts affect research in a particular discipline and area, leading to a reassessment of approaches, methods and research strategies, as well as specific practices of public engagement of the Academia and related splits within it.