Event Timeslots (1)
Friday
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Scientific inquiry is embedded in society and it is influenced by cultural, political, economic and historical contexts. Which questions to inquire, which hypotheses to pursue, which methods to employ and which theories to accept as the basis for policy guidance is influenced not only by scientific evidence and epistemic values, but also by non-epistemic (or social) values. At the same time, scientific findings should have the mark of objectivity rather than the mark of politicized processes. In this course, we will explore complexities that underpin this tension. We will start with the literature on the value-free ideal of science and proceed towards discussions on politicized science. Throughout the seminar we will use articles from online media, illustrating the tension between science and politics through various examples, as the testbed for philosophical accounts on the given issues.