BIAP (Barcelona Institute of Analytical Philosophy) was distinguished with a "Unidad de Excelencia" of the Programa Marái de Maeztu with a project on nature and the role of evidence.

Researchers in charge: Prof. Carl Hoefer, director of BIAP, and  J.J. Moreso and Serena Olsaretti as coordinators of the UPF Work-package.

Political and legal philosophers face questions about the role of evidence in the formulation and justification of their normative theories and its relevance for the defensibility of the exercise of authority. A first such question is: what kind of evidence determines the truth of propositions of law? Second, there are important issues regarding the role of evidence in democratic deliberation and decision-making, e.g., how the transformation of the structure of public deliberation creates trouble for well-informed public debate; and how new forms of evidence in the digital age can democratically be used to guide public policy. Third, is evidence-based public decision-making essential for the protection of vulnerable groups in a democratic society? Incorporation of empirical research into legislation and legal judgments using suitable methods for assessing the different impact of norms and policies on different social groups may help prevent indirect discriminations and human rights violations. A fourth set of questions concerns whether different standards of evidence may be required or acceptable in different domains in which authority is exercised over others, for that authority to be justified.