CANCELLED: Empirical Ethics: On the Art of Paying Attention

This event seeks to advance Arjun Appadurai’s idea of an ethics of possibility, which stands in contrast to a risk-reduction oriented ethics of probability. This we will do by connecting empirical insights with value considerations. While there are several approaches to empirical ethics, we focus on lines of tradition within philosophy and anthropology that build on a situated understanding of knowledge. We investigate what an empirically informed ethics of possibility entails, what it can offer, and what research methods could help inform its development. At the latter point, the event explores Amade M’charek’s notion of “the Art of Paying Attention” (2015), which provides a lens through which we can consider how attention shapes ethical practices. How can “paying attention” be understood and enacted, and under which conditions should it be regarded as a normative act of care—or neglect? In how far is attention normative?

About the speakers 

Arjun Appadurai is a world-known anthropologist and cultural theorist prominent for his influential work on globalization, modernity, and the cultural dynamics of imagination. Born in Mumbai, he has held academic positions at prestigious institutions, including New York University and the University of Chicago. Appadurai’s research explores the intersections of technology, media, and social life, with a particular focus on the ethics of possibility—emphasizing human agency, cultural diversity, and the power of imagination in shaping futures beyond dominant techno-centric paradigms.   

Amade M’charek is a  professor of Anthropology of Science at the University of Amsterdam. Her research focuses on the intersection of science, race, and identity, with particular attention to forensic science and the social construction of race in Europe. Drawing from her own background, M’charek critically examines how race and ethnicity are produced through scientific practices. She is a leading voice in science and technology studies (STS), advocating for more inclusive and situated approaches to scientific knowledge. Her most recent attention also goes towards the role of the senses in empirical research.

Huub Dijstelbloem is a professor of Philosophy of Science and Politics at the University of Amsterdam and Scientific Director of the Institute for Advanced Study (IAS). His research focuses on the political implications of technology, particularly in relation to borders, migration, surveillance, and the governance of science and innovation. Dijstelbloem is the author of several influential books and articles on border technologies, democracy, and citizenship. He is a leading voice in science and technology studies (STS) and public philosophy, advocating for more democratic and inclusive technological practices. 

Paula Helm (moderator) is Assistant Professor in Empirical Ethics and Data at the University of Amsterdam, where she co-leads the Empirical Ethics Research Group and coordinates the MA program on Cultural Data & AI. With a background in Cultural Anthropology and Peace & Conflict Studies, she earned her PhD with an ethnography on addiction therapy. She has led interdisciplinary research projects on AI, data ethics, and security, and held postdoc positions at Goethe University Frankfurt and TU Munich, as well as fellowships with David Lyon in Kingston and Helen Nissenbaum in New York.

Selin Gerlek (moderator) is Assistant Professor for Philosophy of Technology and Politics at the University of Amsterdam. Her research focuses on digital citizenship, transformative processes in human-technology relations, mediated cultural practices, empirical ethics & value change, as well as embodied and hermeneutic relations. The traditional lines of thought she follows include (Post-)Phenomenology, Philosophy of Technology, Science and Technology Studies (STS), Pragmatism, Practice Theory, Political Philosophy, Feminist Philosophy, Gender Theories, and both vertical and horizontal ethics.