I was trained as a philosopher of science in Paris 1 Panthéon Sorbonne after being a student at École Normale Supérieure (A/L 98). I also studied classics while an undergraduate, physics, and computer science during my doctoral years.
After my Ph.D. (2004-2008), I got a permanent job at CNRS in 2009.
I obtained my habilitation thesis (Habilitation à Diriger des Recherches in 2019 from the University of Lyon III.
I am now affiliated to Archives Poincaré (UMR 7117), an institute devoted mainly to history of science, philosophy of science, and philosophy.
I have served as a member of the Governing Board of the Société de Philosophie des Sciences (Bureau, 2009-2018, and CA, 2006-2018). I have also been involved actively in the MSH-Lorraine from 2011 to 2015 (co-leading of axe 6, “Science et Cognition” with Alain Trognon). More recently, I have been the leader of the « Science et Société » part of the ISITE projects “N4S Nanomaterials for sensor”s (2018-2019). I am now the editor of the novel “États de l’art” (Review articles) section for the journal Lato Sensu and hope to develop this section in the coming years. Overall, I believe that it is important to devote time to serve institutions and just as important to make way for new people after some time.
After my Ph.D., I have kept working actively in the philosophy of science about questions like complex systems, modeling, explaining, simulations, and scientific practices, especially computational ones. I usually adopt a naturalistic perspective and investigate questions related to the complexity of tasks, the analysis of constraints, and the limitation of resources of various types.
In this context, I have participated to research projects such as CausaProba (ANR-DFG 2008), Compuphys, « The Computational Turn in Physics » (ANR, ANR-08-JCJC-0035, leader: Anouk Barberousse), Pratisciens (ANR-08-3_312398, leader: Lena Soler), and, more recently, OLKI, « Open Language and Knowledge for Citizens » (I-SITE, LUE, leader : Christophe Cerisara).
I often use resources from the philosophy of mathematics, computer science, and mathematics due to the objects of my research, my interests in complexity and in-practice constraints. I have participated in projects like « Formalisme, formalisation, intuition et compréhension en Mathématiques » (ANR- DFG. FFIUM, Heinzmann & Leitgeb).
After 2010, I have felt the need (as a second effect of my naturalistic orientations) to develop research in the social and formal epistemology of science. In this context, I have conducted several research projects, such as Colexia, 2011-2014 « La connaissance scientifique « élargie » : création, validation, diffusion », projet MSH-Lorraine, D3CTRIX (2015-2018, «Dynamiques Délibératives et Décisions Collectives sur les technologies à risque » (PEPS CNRS MoMIS 2015, CPER Ariane., 2015-2018).
More recently, together with Thomas Boyer-Kassem, Isabelle Drouet, and Cédric Paternotte, we have decided to launch a national research seminar in formal and social epistemology to structure more deeply this field of research, which is still in its infancy in France.
I am presently the coordinator of the Lorraine partner for the ANR project CRISP (“(Addressing) the Challenge of Scientific Integrity in Scientific Practices”), directed by Stéphanie Ruphy. This project is a nice opportunity to combine my interests in philosophy of science on the one hand and social and formal epistemology of science on the other.
Cyrille Imbert 