The main conflicts within feminist philosophy of science have involved neutrality and impartiality. The neutrality of objective science is linked to two ideas. First, the neutrality of science thesis depends on making a distinction between facts and values. Second, if theories/hypotheses either presuppose or imply values (are not neutral), then the evidence for or against them cannot be evaluated impartially. An “impartial evaluation,” in the sense intended here, is one based on cognitive values only. Thus neutrality appears necessary for impartiality. If this analysis is correct then one way to show that feminist values can play a legitimate role in science, is to show that impartiality does not require neutrality. It would follow that scientific theories might not be value-free in the sense of being neutral, but could still be impartial. Thus reconceived and clarified, the challenge for feminist philosophy of science is to show that science can be based on value assumptions and have value implications, but nonetheless be impartial.
Posted on: Sun, 30 Mar 2014 00:49:26 +0000
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