Robin Birgé

Position : Post Doctorant

As a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Montpellier (Lirdef) and independent researcher in the Hyperthèses laboratory, my work is marked by an interest in the ethics of discussion. After studying ecology, I became involved in science studies through the critical analysis of discussions (otherwise known as controversies) on the biologization of the social and the Sokal affair. For my thesis, I'm interested in a story that ends badly: "The tragedy of the expert, or "Langagement in science fiction" as a response to the deconstruction of the authoritarianism and relativism of scientific expertise by dramaturgical sociology". By staging expert reports and defining dramaturgical sociology (described by some as political epistemology), whose principles of distancing and alteration aim to transform habits and thus the world, I propose a radically constructivist and committed research practice.

Research topics

• Sociology of Dramaturgy and Eristics
• Social responsibility, commitment and the researcher's language
• Expertise in democracy
• The biologization of the social
• Epistemological controversies (the Sokal affair and other hoaxes)

Teaching

• Conference at the Université de Tiers Temps in Montpellier: Can 'science' survive the loss of its 'neutrality'?
• Co-direction with Manuel Bachtold (Lirdef, UM), entitled Étude des jeux d'acteurs et d'arguments dans la controverse liée aux véhicules Diesel (2015-2016, M2 HPDS, UM)
• Introductory course on constructivism (2014, Doctoral Module, UM)
• Article analysis assessment jury (M2 HPDS, UM)
• Methodology course: bibliographical references and theoretical grid for understanding quotations according to their purpose within the text (M2 HPDS, UM)
• Course in aesthetics of communication: articulation fond-forme (2015, Parcours ACCES du M2 B2E, with Guillaume Bagnolini, Epsylon UM3)
• Project evaluation jury: articulation of a science popularization project, epistemic posture, communication model (2015, M2 B2E ACCES course, with Grégoire Molinatti and Nicolas Chevassus-Au-Louis).
• Introduction to epistemology course (2014, M1 B2E ACCES course, with Nicolas Chevassus-Au-Louis)

Responsibilities

• Researcher at the Hyperthèses laboratory (https://hypertheses.org)
• Currently dramaturge on the opera and object theater project(Victor) Frankensteinnext show by the companyLesKaryatides(creation scheduled for 2019)