photo: Arjan Reef
Mieke Boon is full professor in the Philosophy Department at University of Twente. She has a firm background in the engineering sciences, holding a MSc in Chemical Engineering and a PhD in Biotechnology. Her research aims at a philosophy of engineering sciences that provides a more adequate understanding of the role of science in technology, with the purpose to contribute to the development of a not yet elaborated field within the philosophy of science and technology. This concerns scientific research on complex systems in which interrelated physical, chemical and biological processes occur, such as biochemical and biomedical technologies. The proper technological design of these advanced technologies calls for scientifically informed approaches. This requires a better understanding of how scientific knowledge is produced that is applicable to these systems. In philosophy of technology, this type of knowledge production has been neglected, probably because up till now focus has been on the design of artefacts and not on industrial processes. A central focus of prof. Boon’s work is how scientists in the ‘laboratory sciences’ develop scientific theories, laws and models, instruments and experiments, in particular, on how their reasoning in these practices can be better understood. The construction of models is an important theme within this work.