Nationally syndicated radio program Philosophy Talk returns to Oregon State University on Wednesday April 15th, 2015 on the Withycombe Hall Main Stage for a live show taping. This time, our topic will be:
“Science and Politics: Friends or Foes?”
The ideal of science is objectivity in the service of advancing knowledge. We tend to assume that to be objective, scientists must keep their politics from influencing their work. But time and time again we see that science, even some of our best science, is awash in political influences.
Could politics sometimes have a positive effect on objectivity in science? If so, which kinds of politics might have a positive effect and which might not? What criteria could we use to make the distinction? And does ‘objectivity’ still have meaning in this context?
John and Ken take all sides with SHPR Philosophy Prof. Sharyn Clough, author of Beyond Epistemology: A Pragmatist Approach to Feminist Science Studies.
Click below to watch the 2015 Oregon Trailer from Philosophy Talk.
