Conversations at the Center: Science and Values

In this episode of Conversations at the Center, Center Director Edouard Machery sits down with Visiting Fellow Mark Risjord to discuss Science and Values.Dr. Risjord used his time at the University of Pittsburgh Center for Philosophy of Science to work on a book project, tentatively titled Impartial Inquiry: A Defense of Scientific Value-Freedom. Using 20th century sociology of racial residential segregation as a running case study, the book argues for impartiality as a norm of inquiry.  It argues that while political values may properly motivate scientific questions, but they ought never influence the acceptability of the answers.   The book aims to show that arguments against the value-free ideal generally highlight useful kinds of criticism of scientific practice, but such criticism is consistent with—and sometimes strengthened by—the norm of impartiality. Previous publications that are relevant to this project include “Thick Concepts and Impartiality” (with Kareem Khalifa and Jared Millson) and “Scientific Change as Political Action” .