ABSTRACT

The purpose of this paper is to argue that social science is an inherently moral enterprise. There are four reasons to see science as a moral endeavor based on the neo-Aristotelian recognition that morality is centered on human goods (e.g., justice and knowledge), not just right action. First, science is guided by epistemic values (e.g., accuracy, transparency) and underwritten by pro-science traits (e.g., honesty, patience). Second, the outcomes of applied science (e.g., disease cures, pedagogy improvements) are valued by scientists and others. Third, attempting to eliminate values from science is counterproductive because it leads to smuggling in moral commitments that are very difficult to critically evaluate, particularly in the social sciences. Finally, the goal of science is knowledge, which is a vital human good. Therefore, science is a thoroughly moral enterprise because human goods are moral aims. I conclude with three implications of this argument for science education.

摘要

本文的目的是论证社会科学本质上是一种道德事业。有四个理由将科学视为一种基于新亚里士多德承认的道德努力，即道德以人类善（例如，正义和知识）为中心，而不仅仅是正确的行动。首先，科学以认知价值（例如，准确性、透明度）为指导，并以支持科学的特征（例如，诚实、耐心）为基础。其次，应用科学的成果（例如，疾病治愈、教育学改进）受到科学家和其他人的重视。第三，试图从科学中消除价值观会适得其反，因为它会导致道德承诺的走私，而这些道德承诺很难进行批判性评估，尤其是在社会科学领域。最后，科学的目标是知识，这是人类至关重要的利益。所以，科学是一项彻底的道德事业，因为人类商品是道德目标。最后，我总结了这一论点对科学教育的三个影响。