What is conceptual engineering and what should it be?

David J. Chalmers

Inquiry · 2020 · 201 citations · 16 references

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Concepts

Abstract

Conceptual engineering should be understood as the design, implementation, and evaluation of concepts. Conceptual engineering includes or should include de novo conceptual engineering (designing a new concept) as well as conceptual re-engineering (fixing an old concept). It should also include heteronymous (different-word) as well as homonymous (same-word) conceptual engineering. I discuss the importance and the difficulty of these sorts of conceptual engineering in philosophy and elsewhere.

References

16