Answer to Question #313281 in History for neo

Question

2. Discuss the meaning of the following concepts (and substantiate in a proper footnote reference your authoritative source):

2.2 Objectivity

Answer 1

Objectivity¹ is a property of various aspects of science. It expresses the idea that scientific claims, methods, results—and scientists themselves—are not, or should not be, influenced by particular perspectives, value judgments, community bias or personal interests, to name a few relevant factors. Objectivity is often considered to be an ideal for scientific inquiry, a good reason for valuing scientific knowledge, and the basis of the authority of science in society.

Many central debates in the philosophy of science have, in one way or another, to do with objectivity: confirmation and the problem of induction; theory choice and scientific change; realism; scientific explanation; experimentation; measurement and quantification; statistical evidence; reproducibility; evidence-based science; feminism and values in science. Understanding the role of objectivity in science is therefore integral to a full appreciation of these debates.

1. Forster, P. (2017). Objectivity in Science and Objectivity in Ethics: Quine Versus Putnam and Rorty. The Philosophical Forum, 48(3), 241-271. https://doi.org/10.1111/phil.12159