PHIL 2025 Chapter : 1 16 Values In Science
Document Summary
What is a value: epistemic values values determining what makes a scientific theory better, consistency, accuracy, fertility, simplicity, social (non-epistemic) values values supporting things other than truth (includes ethical values, charity, democracy, anti-capital punishment, retributive warfare. Why values at all: why not just one epistemic value: truth, values and standards change. Epistemic values: consistency, accuracy, fertility, simplicity, dopelt"s point: these values and the evaluation of them has changed. Which are more or less important: 19th century philosophy of science, what does it take to say a theory is accurate to observations, particle physics vs. social science. Is this a good thing: realizing that a debate is about values, then resolution can be better executed, climate change, genetically-modified foods, nuclear power, robotics, vaccines. They just set epistemic values: longino: yes. After all the data is taken into account, to adopt particular theories, you make up the difference with background knowledge: logical positivists: no.
