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See Also: An Overview of Weber | |||||
Max Weber originated idea of value-free science, but even he knew it was impossible to accomplish | |||||
Weber held that Science cannot decide value issues |
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For Weber, the clarity of issues is all that science can offer us |
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Science can provide us w/ means but not ends |
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Science can never show the way to true values |
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A conflict of values is inevitable |
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Values can never be arranged through science, or otherwise, into one universal scale |
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Weber demonstrated that it is difficult not to use Science to
determine values
because Science offers insight: |
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- into the nature of human actions | |||||
- into the meaning of certain goals |
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- into the means of attaining goals |
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- into the costs & consequences for those goals & goals not pursued |
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Weber was one of the first people to maintain
that the Sciences should try to minimize values in research |
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For most of the public AND many scientists (social & natural), there is assumption that science is neutral, i.e. value free |
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But we must realize that value free science is a noble, but relatively unattainable goal |
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Science often assumes a particular set of values |
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Values are personal judgments or preferences about what is considered good or bad, or about what is liked or disliked |
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Values & Theory overlap because many of our value judgments are unproven "personal theories" however, this should not lead us to the belief that scientific theories can prove values |
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Values, unlike scientific theory, can never be proven |
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If we have a question of values, that should be resolved by the political process, the religious process, etc. |
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Questions of science can be resolved, questions of values cannot | |||||
It is difficult to separate values & science on many issues
- abortion - death penalty - pollution - unemployment policy.... |
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What are the questions of values & science here or in other issues? | |||||
A Value Loaded Statement is one that purports to be neutral but has value statements | |||||
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Examples of loaded statements | ||||
How do values enter into research? | |||||
Weber proposed value free science, though he understood that this is an impossible goal, it is something to be striven for | |||||
Today science has established a mantle of objectivity: "science is value free" | |||||
Values enter the scientific process through FIVE Avenues | |||||
a. Who are you working for? Sponsors have "interests" | |||||
b. What perspective/paradigm are you researching from? (most difficult to account for) | |||||
Perspective/Paradigm: different fields of science work w/in different theoretical frameworks: based on a set of different theories/models (Sociology: conflict, S-F, S-I; Weather: computer models, lab experiments) | |||||
c. What question are you exploring? Hypothesis formulation (How do you state the problem?) | |||||
Values enter in hypothesis formulation: the answer is given by science is dependent on questions asked | |||||
Solution: Ask different questions Use different methods | |||||
d. Generalization/Interpretation: often strong disagreement over interpretation | |||||
e. Bad science is made up of Hoaxes & Faulty Research, not
unsupported hypotheses
Hoaxes: very limited amount of fake science Faulty: limited amount of mistakes, but many false leads |
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Scientific Method attempts to mitigate effect of values by making research process visible to all: organized skepticism | |||||
Methods & Conclusions | |||||
Values usually don't enter in the application/methods of the study | |||||
Values legitimately are relegated to conclusions | |||||
See: Epistemology & the Antidotes to Bias | |||||
a. Antidote: Question Knowledge: no blind faith in science: Keep on Questioning "Question Authority" | |||||
b. Antidote: Ask, "Who benefits from a given bit of knowledge?" | |||||
c. Antidote: Ask: "Who controls / creates that knowledge?" |