Matthew J. Brown, Values in Science: Past, Present, and Future

[@claudiormreis]

excellent talk!

[@samuelmaia9138]

This was an excellent presentation that summarizes much of the state of the art (up to 2022, of course) on values in science. I will recommend it to anyone who wants an overview of the path taken towards now! I just ask whether we also have a fifth tradition: critical theory. Although restricted to the social sciences, it was born assuming the evaluative character of these endeavors, taking some time theorizing about the methods of science, and their relation to political and moral values. Concerning your boxes (values -> science; science -> values, etc.), to me, this branch would just not mark an individual focus, and a question mark on democratic values (for reasons similar to those of Marxists and feminists). Its elaborations on science and activism are quite deep. (By the way, if it has a Marxist heritage, critical theory certainly has had a life of its own for quite some time.)

[@MattBrownPhD]

A limitation of the talk that I failed to make explicit, I think, is that I was really focused on those thinkers that have had an influence on mainstream, Anglophone philosophy of science. I think you're right about the relevance of critical theory. There is an unfortunate story to tell about missed connections in the mid-20th C between the Frankfurt School, the Vienna Circle, and the American Pragmatists, all of whom had more in common than not and all of whom seemed to misunderstand and uncharitably dismiss each other, with a few exceptions. (Otto Neurath in particular seems to have been very charitable towards both the Frankfurters and the pragmatists).

[@samuelmaia9138]

@@MattBrownPhD Thanks for the answer!

[@nathanketsdever3150]

Value inquiry is an empirical process, but it's also so MUCH more than that too. The definition Dewey provides on this according to Matthew Brown (around 11:00) is reductionist and an oversimplification at best. It's a strawperson of the truth.

[@MattBrownPhD]

I think you misunderstand the view described if you think it is "reductionist," and I am not sure I understand how you use the term "strawperson," which usually refers to how one represents an argument one is criticizing. Perhaps I did not explain my/Dewey's views clearly. I spend a lot of space laying this out in Chs 4-5 of my book. valuesinscience.com/