BIBLIO is the largest independent book marketplace in the world, with over 100 million books.

Skip to content

Science, Policy, and the Value-Free Ideal
Stock photo: cover may vary

Science, Policy, and the Value-Free Ideal Paperback - 2009

by Heather E. Douglas

Add to wish list

Reader reviews for Science, Policy, and the Value-Free Ideal

From the publisher

The role of science in policymaking has gained unprecedented stature in the United States, raising questions about the place of science and scientific expertise in the democratic process. Some scientists have been given considerable epistemic authority in shaping policy on issues of great moral and cultural significance, and the politicizing of these issues has become highly contentious.

Since World War II, most philosophers of science have purported the concept that science should be \u201cvalue-free.\u201d In Science, Policy and the Value-Free Ideal, Heather E. Douglas argues that such an ideal is neither adequate nor desirable for science. She contends that the moral responsibilities of scientists require the consideration of values even at the heart of science. She lobbies for a new ideal in which values serve an essential function throughout scientific inquiry, but where the role values play is constrained at key points, thus protecting the integrity and objectivity of science. In this vein, Douglas outlines a system for the application of values to guide scientists through points of uncertainty fraught with moral valence.

Following a philosophical analysis of the historical background of science advising and the value-free ideal, Douglas defines how values should-and should not-function in science. She discusses the distinctive direct and indirect roles for values in reasoning, and outlines seven senses of objectivity, showing how each can be employed to determine the reliability of scientific claims. Douglas then uses these philosophical insights to clarify the distinction between junk science and sound science to be used in policymaking. In conclusion, she calls for greater openness on the values utilized in policymaking, and more public participation in the policymaking process, by suggesting various models for effective use of both the public and experts in key risk assessments.

Details

  • Title Science, Policy, and the Value-Free Ideal
  • Author Heather E. Douglas
  • Binding Paperback
  • Edition [ Edition: first
  • Pages 256
  • Volumes 1
  • Language ENG
  • Publisher University of Pittsburgh Press, United States
  • Publication date 2009-07-15
  • Features Bibliography, Index, Table of Contents
  • ISBN 9780822960263 / 0822960265
  • Weight 0.75 lbs (0.34 kg)
  • Dimensions 8.8 x 5.9 x 0.4 in (22.35 x 14.99 x 1.02 cm)
  • Category Science
  • Library of Congress subjects Science - Moral and ethical aspects, Science - Social aspects
  • Library of Congress Catalogue Number 2009005463
  • Dewey Decimal Code 174.95

Media reviews

Citations

  • Choice, 12/01/2009, Page 0

About the author

Heather E. Douglas is professor in the Department of Philosophy at Michigan State University. She received her PhD from the History and Philosophy of Science Department at the University of Pittsburgh in 1998 and has held tenure-line positions since then at the University of Puget Sound, the University of Tennessee, and the University of Waterloo. She is the author of numerous articles on values in science, the moral responsibilities of scientists, and the role of science in democratic societies. Her work has been supported by the National Science Foundation, and in 2016 she was named a fellow of the AAAS. She is editor of the book series Science, Values, and the Public.

More Copies for Sale

Science, Policy, and the Value-Free Ideal
Stock photo: cover may vary

Science, Policy, and the Value-Free Ideal

by Douglas, Heather E

  • Used
Condition
Used
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780822960263 / 0822960265
Quantity available
1
Seller
Item price
A$48.92
Free Delivery to USA

Show details

Description:
University of Pittsburgh Press. Used - Very Good. Pages intact with possible writing/highlighting. Binding strong with minor wear. Dust jackets/supplements may not be included. Stock photo provided. Product includes identifying sticker. Better World Books: Buy Books. Do Good.
Add to wish list
Item price
A$48.92
Free Delivery to USA
Science, Policy, and the Value-Free Ideal
Stock photo: cover may vary

Science, Policy, and the Value-Free Ideal

by Douglas, Heather E

  • Used
Condition
Used
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780822960263 / 0822960265
Quantity available
1
Seller
Item price
A$48.92
Free Delivery to USA

Show details

Description:
University of Pittsburgh Press. Used - Good. Former library copy. Pages intact with minimal writing/highlighting. The binding may be loose and creased. Dust jackets/supplements are not included. Includes library markings. Stock photo provided. Product includes identifying sticker. Better World Books: Buy Books. Do Good.
Add to wish list
Item price
A$48.92
Free Delivery to USA
Science, Policy, and the Value-Free Ideal

Science, Policy, and the Value-Free Ideal

by Douglas, Heather E.

  • Used
  • Very good
  • Paperback
Condition
Very good
Binding
Paperback
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780822960263 / 0822960265
Quantity available
1
Seller
Item price
A$74.87
A$16.64 Delivery to USA

Show details

Description:
Paperback. Very Good.
Add to wish list
Item price
A$74.87
A$16.64 Delivery to USA
Science, Policy, and the Value-Free Ideal
Stock photo: cover may vary

Science, Policy, and the Value-Free Ideal

by Douglas, Heather E

  • Used
  • Paperback
  • first
Condition
Used
Edition
First Edition
Binding
Paperback
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780822960263 / 0822960265
Quantity available
1
Seller
Item price
A$58.72
Free Delivery to USA

Show details

Description:
University of Pittsburgh Press, 2009-07-15. First Edition. paperback. Used: Good. 6.00x0.70x9.00. Buy with confidence. Excellent Customer Service & Return policy.
Add to wish list
Item price
A$58.72
Free Delivery to USA
Science, Policy, and the Value-Free Ideal
Stock photo: cover may vary

Science, Policy, and the Value-Free Ideal

by Douglas, Heather E

  • Used
  • Good
  • Paperback
Condition
Good
Binding
Paperback
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780822960263 / 0822960265
Quantity available
1
Seller
Item price
A$62.26
Free Delivery to USA

Show details

Description:
University of Pittsburgh Press. paperback. Good. 0x0x0. Buy with confidence. Excellent Customer Service & Return policy.
Add to wish list
Item price
A$62.26
Free Delivery to USA
Science, Policy, and the Value-free Ideal
Stock photo: cover may vary

Science, Policy, and the Value-free Ideal

by Douglas, Heather E.

  • New
  • Paperback
Condition
New
Binding
Paperback
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780822960263 / 0822960265
Quantity available
1
Seller
Item price
A$84.89
A$29.13 Delivery to USA

Show details

Description:
Univ of Pittsburgh Pr, 2009. Paperback. New. 256 pages. 9.60x6.00x0.50 inches.
Add to wish list
Item price
A$84.89
A$29.13 Delivery to USA
Science, Policy, and the Value-Free Ideal
Stock photo: cover may vary

Science, Policy, and the Value-Free Ideal

by Douglas, Heather E

  • New
  • Paperback
  • first
Condition
New
Edition
First Edition
Binding
Paperback
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780822960263 / 0822960265
Quantity available
6
Seller
Item price
A$68.85
Free Delivery to USA

Show details

Description:
University of Pittsburgh Press, 2009-07-15. First Edition. paperback. New. 6.00x0.70x9.00. Buy with confidence. Excellent Customer Service & Return policy.
Add to wish list
Item price
A$68.85
Free Delivery to USA
Science, Policy, and the Value-Free Ideal

Science, Policy, and the Value-Free Ideal

by Heather E. Douglas

  • New
  • Paperback
Condition
New
Binding
Paperback
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780822960263 / 0822960265
Quantity available
2
Seller
Item price
A$92.62
A$19.32 Delivery to USA

Show details

Description:
Paperback / softback. New. Douglas challenges the traditional value-free ideal, and proposes a new ideal for values in science. She argues that the distinction between junk science and sound science lies in the roles values play at key points throughout science, and that constraining those roles is central to protecting the integrity and objectivity of science.
Add to wish list
Item price
A$92.62
A$19.32 Delivery to USA
Science, Policy, and the Value-Free Ideal
Stock photo: cover may vary

Science, Policy, and the Value-Free Ideal

by Douglas, Heather E.

  • Used
  • Good
  • Paperback
Condition
Good
Binding
Paperback
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780822960263 / 0822960265
Quantity available
1
Seller
Item price
A$91.90
Free Delivery to USA

Show details

Description:
paperback. Good. Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items. May be an ex-library book.
Add to wish list
Item price
A$91.90
Free Delivery to USA
Science, Policy, and the Value-Free Ideal
Stock photo: cover may vary

Science, Policy, and the Value-Free Ideal

by Douglas, Heather E

  • New
Condition
New
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780822960263 / 0822960265
Quantity available
4
Seller
Item price
A$108.97
A$29.34 Delivery to USA

Show details

Description:
University of Pittsburgh Press. New. Special order direct from the distributor
Add to wish list
Item price
A$108.97
A$29.34 Delivery to USA