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Sharon B egley on “the science wars”.
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Sharon Begley on “the science wars” • The social constructionists: “It is not that evil scientists intentionally set out to enshrine the prejudices of the day in their research conclusions. But as mere mortals, they cannot escape their influences. Science…is therefore, a ‘social construct’” (115). • The extreme: Absolute Relativism • Vs. • The realists: “we are…measuring something real, something that is not a social construct…. ‘[T]he constraints of the data are what make the difference between writing a novel about the past and doing [insert any kind of science here]’” (118) • The extreme: Absolute Truth
The middle ground: “a constructionist materialism” (Harding, 38) Standpoint theory Strong objectivity Situated knowledges Material feminisms
Your classmate on objectivity: • “I think that [appreciating the intersectionality of every identity] could make science stronger, even by its own criteria (objectivity, generalizability). Being allowed to ignore vast swaths of experience, data, and identities doesn’t improve knowledge; it’s producing big blind spots, real weaknesses. I definitely don’t think it would hurt anything, but maybe it would produce more accurate theories and better, more inclusive studies.”
Sandra Harding: “A Socially Relevant Philosophy of Science?Resources from Standpoint Theory’s Controversiality”
Standpoint theory & science:we know not in spite of, but because of, social location • Begin from experiences of marginalization • “Study-Up” …or… view from “below” • Transparency regarding certain, inherent biases • Claims are made to be locatable; accountable\ • Still partial