Indigenous and Scientific Knowledge. A Model of Knowledge Integration and its Limitations. - a podcast by MCMP Team

David Ludwig (VU University Amsterdam) gives a talk at the MCMP Colloquium (17 June, 2015) titled "Indigenous and Scientific Knowledge. A Model of Knowledge Integration andits Limitations". Abstract: Philosophical debates about indigenous knowledge often focus on the issue of relativism: given a diversity of local knowledge systems, how can certain types of (e.g. scientific or metaphysical) knowledge claim to transcend their historical and cultural contexts? In contrast with philosophical worries about differences between knowledge systems, research in ethnobiology and conservation biology is often motivated by the practical need to integrate indigenous and modern scientific knowledge in the co-management of local environments. Instead of focusing on alleged incommensurability, real-life conservation efforts often require the incorporation of knowledge from different sources. Based on ethnobiological case studies, I propose a model of knowledge integration that reflects shared reference to property clusters and their inferential potentials. Furthermore, the proposed model does not only explain integration of indigenous and modern scientific knowledge but also predicts limitations of knowledge integration. I argue that the proposed model therefore does not only help to understand current practices of ethnobiology but also provides a nuances picture of the ontological and epistemological relations between different knowledge systems.

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