Sustainable development: epistemological challenges to science and technology. Report of the workshop "Sustainable Development: Epistemological Challenges to Science and Technology"

The meeting was initiated by a discussion about the role and meaning of knowledge in society. Potential changes that could be made in order to better adapt scientific knowledge to political agendas of global problems were addressed. One of the main challenges is to bridge the gap between knowledge and action. The presumption that more knowledge is needed in order to face problems like sustainable development was challenged. It was argued that part of the problem might reside in the scientific method itself. At the same time, the importance of understanding the political processes was stressed. Finally, a definition of the concepts of science, knowledge and trust opened new discussions on the relationship between science, ethics, rationality and power.