TY - JOUR

T1 - Objectivity, value-free science, and inductive risk

AU - Hoyningen-Huene, Paul

N1 - Funding Information: I wish to thank Catherine Herfeld, Gertude Hirsch, Gero Kellermann, Simon Lohse, Elliot Neaman, Markus Scholz, Stefanie Stadler Elmer, Philippe Tobler, Brad Wray, and three anonymous referees of this journal for very fruitful suggestions concerning earlier versions of this article.

PY - 2023/3

Y1 - 2023/3

N2 - In this paper I shall defend the idea that there is an abstract and general core meaning of objectivity, and what is seen as a variety of concepts or conceptions of objectivity are in fact criteria of, or means to achieve, objectivity. I shall then discuss the ideal of value-free science and its relation to the objectivity of science; its status can be at best a criterion of, or means for, objectivity. Given this analysis, we can then turn to the problem of inductive risk. Do the value judgements regarding inductive risk really pose a threat to the objectivity of science? I claim that this is not the case because they do not lower the thresholds scientifically postulated for objectivity. I shall conclude the paper with a discussion of under-appreciated influences of values on science, which indeed pose a serious threat to the objectivity of some scientific disciplines.

AB - In this paper I shall defend the idea that there is an abstract and general core meaning of objectivity, and what is seen as a variety of concepts or conceptions of objectivity are in fact criteria of, or means to achieve, objectivity. I shall then discuss the ideal of value-free science and its relation to the objectivity of science; its status can be at best a criterion of, or means for, objectivity. Given this analysis, we can then turn to the problem of inductive risk. Do the value judgements regarding inductive risk really pose a threat to the objectivity of science? I claim that this is not the case because they do not lower the thresholds scientifically postulated for objectivity. I shall conclude the paper with a discussion of under-appreciated influences of values on science, which indeed pose a serious threat to the objectivity of some scientific disciplines.

KW - Heather Douglas

KW - Inductive risk

KW - Objectivity

KW - Richard Rudner

KW - Value-free science

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85149935606&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1007/s13194-023-00518-9

DO - 10.1007/s13194-023-00518-9

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85149935606

VL - 13

JO - European Journal for Philosophy of Science

JF - European Journal for Philosophy of Science

SN - 1879-4912

IS - 1

M1 - 14

ER -