Philosophy of science and climate change

Our research in philosophy of science considers the concepts, methodology and underlying assumptions of climate science. One focus is put on the historical case “year without summer” 1816 to study different notions of “climatic changes” and their relation to observed meteorological conditions, scientific explanations, non-scientific explanations, social processes, individual attitudes, and societal influences. A further research topic is the analysis of causal statements in the IPCC report and arguments against anthropogenic global warming.

Projects

• Observing, understanding, and perceiving climatic changes: A historical case study of the “year without summer” 1816
  Contact: Gertrude Hirsch Hadorn
  
  
• The conception of causality in the IPCC arguments for anthropogenic global warming (completed)
  Contact: Gertrude Hirsch Hadorn
  

Key publications

Bodenmann, Tom; Brönnimann, Stefan; Hirsch Hadorn, Gertrude; Krüger, Tobias & Weissert, Helmut. 2011. Perceiving, explaining, and observing climatic changes: An historical case study of the “year without summer” 1816. Meteorologische Zeitschrift 20 (6): 577-587.

Bodenmann, Tom 2008. What does it mean to claim that “humans cause a global warming“? – A philosophical analysis of causal claims in the IPCC’s arguments for anthropogenic global warming. GAIA 17/2:205–212

Bodenmann, Tom 2006. Ursachen Attribution der Klimaerwärmung - Eine Analyse mittels der Regularitätsauffassung der Kausalität. Masters Thesis, ETH Zurich