Scientific objectivity is a characteristic of scientific claims, methods and results. If you could find a pdf of the book i would be very greatfulits for. Helen longino finds that general accounts of scientific methodology cannot support this common belief. Proceedings of the biennial meeting of the philosophy of science association 1984. According to helen longino, it is the processes that make inquiry possible that are social, for they require a number of people to sustain them. In a series of earlier papers, i have explored a set of values individually and severally invoked by feminist researchers longino 1994, 1996.
However, the current debates are framed in the context of developments in both philosophy of science and in history and social studies of science following the collapse of the logical empiricist consensus. Justin biddle argues that longinos account presupposes individuals that are completely open to any criticism. These processes facilitate inquiry, and ensure that the results of inquiry are more than mere subjective opinions, and thus deserve to be called knowledge. Helen longino seeks to break the current deadlock in the ongoing wars between philosophers of science and sociologists of scienceacademic battles founded on disagreement about the role of social forces in constructing scientific knowledge. In this paper, i shall examine helen longinos view on the objectivity of science and study how it can be applied to the evaluation of current scientific practices. Helen elizabeth longino born july, 1944 is an american philosopher of science who has argued for the significance of values and social interactions to scientific inquiry. Scientific objectivity stanford encyclopedia of philosophy. Conventional wisdom has it that the sciences, properly pursued, constitute a pure, valuefree method of obtaining knowledge about the natural world. It is this sense of objectivity that longino is concerned with. Seeking to open a dialogue between methodologists and social critics of the sciences, longino develops this concept of contextual empiricism in an analysis of research. Of all published articles, the following were the most read within the past 12 months.
Broadly, helen longino asserts that science is objective because of the inherent social nature of the scientific method. The traditional interpretation of the valuefreedom of modern natural science amounts to a claim that its constitutive and contextual features are clearly distinct from and independent of one another, that contextual values play no role in the inner workings of scientific. In light of the social and normative dimensions of many scientific debates, helen longino finds that general accounts of scientific methodology cannot support this common belief. Explain loginos social conception of objectivity, w. Values and objectivity in scientific inquiry princeton, nj. Helen longino, in her essay, values and objectivity, 1990 asserts four criteria that can objectively criticize the background beliefs and assumptions in the development of scientific theories.
She has written about the role of women in science and is a central figure in feminist epistemology and social epistemology. Apr 24, 2015 this lecture will explore how the same phenomenon assumes different forms from different research perspectives and consequences of this for our understanding of scientific knowledge. If you have access to a journal via a society or association membership, please browse to your society journal, select an article to view, and follow the instructions in this box. Longino university of minnesota in science, truth, and democracy, philip kitcher develops the notion of wellordered science. By discussing two prominent cases in biomedical research, i articulate some epistemically alarming features of commercialized research and highlight the importance of paying. The criticism of longino s account of objectivity that i will discuss here can be summarized as follows. Focusing on the notion of evidence, the author argues that a methodology powerful enough to account for theories of any scope and depth.
Why gender is a relevant factor in the social epistemology of scientific inquiry. Longino department of philosophy, university of minnesota the ideal of value freedom values are good for science the values of truth, objectivity, accuracy, and honesty in results are integral to most notions of good science. J wikipedia citation please see wikipedias template documentation for further citation fields that may be required. History of science society philosophy of science association 69 november 2014 chicago, illinois pdf. Her point of view was that science is built on social values and diversity. The traditional interpretation of the valuefreedom of modern natural science amounts to a claim that its con. Pdf on oct 21, 2008, helen verranwatson and others published. Longinos theory of objectivity and commercialized research. Values are good for science the values of truth, objectivity. Helen elizabeth longino is an american philosopher of science who has argued for the significance of values and social interactions to scientific inquiry. Princeton university press, 1990 publications edited volumes. Helen longino and justin biddle 45 1 bias longino 1990, 75 and freedom from intrusion of individual subjective preference longino 1990, 76. Except for the most rarefied of fields, science depends on assumptions that reflect ethical and political values.
By closing this message, you are consenting to our use of cookies. Longino princeton university press, princeton, new jersey, 1990, pp. Access to society journal content varies across our titles. The objectivity of scientific inquiry can nevertheless be maintained, she proposes, by understanding scientific inquiry as a social rather than an individual process. Which interests do so and how depends on other features of the overall context. Longino this paper explores a number of recent proposals regarding. Values are good for science the values of truth, objectivity, accuracy, and honesty in results are integral to most. These conflicts include substantive hypotheses or theories. Helen elizabeth longino born july, 1944 is an american philosopher of science who has. Rationality, objectivity, and values post navigation.
Scientific pluralism, a volume in the minnesota studies in philosophy of science series, steven kellert, helen e. A read is counted each time someone views a publication summary such as the title, abstract, and list of authors, clicks on a figure, or views or downloads the fulltext. Helen longino jul 1944 present timeline timetoast. She claims that this contextual empiricism reconciles the objectivity of science with the claim that science is socially constructed. On the one hand, longino agrees with the sociologists, feminists, etc. It expresses the idea that the claims, methods and results of science are not, or should not be influenced by particular perspectives, value commitments, community bias or personal interests, to name a few relevant factors. Justin biddle argues that longino s account presupposes individuals that are completely open to any criticism. Longino, science as social knowledge sage journals. I hope in what follows to shake your confidence if you have any, too. My intention is to cast light on the characteristics of epistemic or fundamental research in contrast to applicationoriented research. The social dimensions of scientific knowledge stanford. Longino counts as good or acceptable scientific judgment. A better understanding of the issues requires clarifying in what sense values might play a role in science and consequently in what sense good science should be.
Helen longinos feminist theory of scientific inquiry jon a. Levisohn stanford university in the recent past, south african president thabo mbeki found himself in the headlines for all the wrong reasons. In science as social knowledge, helen longino offers a contextual analysis of evidential relevance. Helen longino suggests empirical adequacy, novelty, ontological heterogeneity, complexity of interaction, applicability to human needs, and decentralization of power as standards for assessing scientific theories longino 1995, p. Objectivity, in the sense of valueneutrality, is commonly taken as the hallmark of. The work of mill, peirce, and popper is a resource for philosophers presently exploring the social dimensions of scientific knowledge. She concludes with a discussion of the relation between science, values, and ideology, based on the work of habermas, foucault, keller, and haraway. Focusing on the notion of evidence, the author argues that a. Helen longino suggests empirical adequacy, novelty, ontological heterogeneity, complexity of interaction, applicability to human needs, and decentralization of power as standards for assessing scienti.
Science as social knowledge princeton university press. The ideal of value freedom values are good for science the values of truth, objectivity, accuracy, and honesty in results are integral to most notions of good science. Helen longino finds that general accounts of scientific methodology. Volume 5issue 1 article 6 642014 juxtaposing longinos. Keywords women in science research science feminist.
In 2016, she was elected to the american academy of arts and sciences. She is the clarence irving lewis professor of philosophy at stanford university. Helen longino is an american philospher of science who argues for the significance of values and social interactions to scientific inquiry. In particular, longino argues that research on the hormonal basis of sexdifferentiated behavior involves assumptions not only about gender relations but also about human action and agency. I have been rethinking this distinction and am no longer convinced that what i was treating as paradigmatic constitutive values have a solely epistemic or cognitive basis. This essay will focus on the view of helen longino, who has earned a welldeserved. They probably do not exhaust the values that feminist researchers do or could endorse but they do. The problem of objectivity is salient for longino due to her account of evidential rea. Like larry laudan and helen longino, kathleen okruhlik is interested in developing a view of science that takes into account the historical, social, and contextual features of scientific practice without giving up on traditional scientific values like rationality and.
According to helen longino, objectivity is necessarily social as it depends on critical interactions in community. First, helen longino 1996 has argued that traditional epistemic values such as. Her overall concept of objectivity makes more sense in contrast with two preexisting concepts of objectivity. I contrast a baconian notion of objectivity, expressing a correspondence of the views of scientists to the facts, with a pluralist notion, involving a critical debate between conflicting approaches. She claims that this contextual empiricism reconciles the objectivity of science with the claim. Jun, 2015 in this paper, i shall examine helen longinos view on the objectivity of science and study how it can be applied to the evaluation of current scientific practices. Social epistemologists such as longino similarly see objectivity.
The criticism of longinos account of objectivity that i will discuss here can be summarized as follows. To learn about our use of cookies and how you can manage your cookie settings, please see our cookie policy. This chapter provides an overview of helen longinos approach to feminist science studies beginning with a discussion of her stand on objectivity, pluralism, sociality, values, and feminist. This book was a major contribution in tying literature from philosophy of science in with the social studies of science.
797 479 1354 1461 267 1586 956 503 1238 482 1257 1450 916 1030 195 952 1046 127 1472 1235 585 322 1097 847 429 1641 789 91 1355 425 1122 500 111 295 439 1478 1243 1387 1175 975 1205 394