Thank you for a very interesting read, as always. I do wonder though, if this discussion often arcs wide of a value-informed scientific openmindedness to a an embrace of so-called 'value-free' science that regards all human values as a form of bias. As a qualitative social scientist myself, I find this position troubling. Science is *always* informed by values, whether they are internal to the researcher e.g., a commitment to social justice; or imposed externally through e.g., prioritisation of a particular research focus by funders. I agree that a certain degree of dispassion is necessary to perform empirically rigorous research, but worry that we sometimes slip towards the conflation of values with political (or other) bias. Much to think about!
Thank you for a very interesting read, as always. I do wonder though, if this discussion often arcs wide of a value-informed scientific openmindedness to a an embrace of so-called 'value-free' science that regards all human values as a form of bias. As a qualitative social scientist myself, I find this position troubling. Science is *always* informed by values, whether they are internal to the researcher e.g., a commitment to social justice; or imposed externally through e.g., prioritisation of a particular research focus by funders. I agree that a certain degree of dispassion is necessary to perform empirically rigorous research, but worry that we sometimes slip towards the conflation of values with political (or other) bias. Much to think about!
Thank you for the great insights, Professor Galea! I have learned a lot!