Hybrid Knowledge Society

2026-07-22

Hybrid Knowledge Society (HYB-KNOW) is a two-year postdoctoral project situated at the intersection of philosophy, history, and cultural studies. The project’s overarching purpose is to overhaul the concept of the knowledge society in light of pressing contemporary concerns, such as the existential risks associated with the Anthropocene and the hybrid demands of the 21st-century knowledge ecosystem. The knowledge society was supposed to have initiated a technology-driven, science-based, and expert-governed way of life, but recent developments indicate that massive technology corporations exert significant influence over the public sphere, scientific institutions are challenged by resurgent extremisms, and expert knowledge is devalued in favor of conspiracy discourse. Moreover, researchers have shown that anthropogenic activity has a significantly negative impact on the Earth system, with potentially devastating consequences for long-term human survival. In these highly complex circumstances, the development of effective solutions will largely depend on the integration of the diverse, multiple elements that comprise the global knowledge ecosystem. Therefore, by drawing on the methodology of political-historical epistemology to design an innovative research framework that combines conceptual research with historical case studies, I will construct the concept of the hybrid knowledge society geared to integrate a wide range of disciplines and actors while avoiding the twin risks of neopositivism and postmodern relativism. The HYB-KNOW project will open up new research avenues, address multiple existing research gaps, and generate change-oriented knowledge to facilitate inclusive knowledge-making practices. In addition, HYB-KNOW will provide me with an opportunity to boost my research profile, improve my scientific training, and consolidate my integration in international academic networks.

Italy

2025-10-01