Specialisation by Value Divergence: The Role of Epistemic Values in the Branching of Scientific Disciplines

In a recent development of what may be called biological philosophy of science, scholars have proposed that aligning notions of research environments with biological concepts of environment holds great promise for understanding the socio-material contexts in and through which science happens. Here, I explore the prospects and potential shortcomings of building sound research environment concepts by contrasting them with biological environment concepts. In doing so, I emphasize the importance of adhering to two central desiderata: the need to clarify what is being environed (i.e., what the counter relatum of an environment is) and what is doing the environing (i.e., what type of environmental partition is instantiated). Subsequently, I juxtapose two biological construals of environment—organismal environments and population environments—with possible articulations of what ‘research environments’ might stand for, and I maintain that each presents distinct epistemic upshots and limitations. More generally, I argue that there are two broad relations that could exist between biological and research environments: ontological parallels and ontic discordance. Finally, employing the visual metaphor of epistemic parallax, I conclude by conveying some lessons and cautionary notes arising from these comparisons and the importation of biological environment concepts into philosophy of science. While environment concepts may come with epistemic purchase, we should be careful when ontologizing them.

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Theory Choice as Niche Construction: The Feedback Loop between Scientific Theories and Epistemic Values

De Benedetto,

Luchetti

2023

Philos. sci.

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In this paper, we will focus on a neglected aspect of scientific theory choice, i.e., how the selection of theories affects epistemic values. Building on Kuhn, we will provide a general characterization of the feedback-loop dynamic between theories and values in theory choice as analogous to the relationship between organisms and the environment in niche construction. We will argue that understanding theory choice as niche construction can explain how certain values acquire more weight and a specific application over time and how resistance to scientific change can, therefore, arise. We will illustrate our picture by looking at the Mendelian-Biometrician controversy.

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Specialisation by Value Divergence: The Role of Epistemic Values in the Branching of Scientific Disciplines

Cited by 4 publications

References 46 publications

Worlds, Algorithms, and Niches: The Feedback-Loop Idea in Kuhn’s Philosophy

Worlds, Algorithms, and Niches: The Feedback-Loop Idea in Kuhn’s Philosophy

Research environments vis-à-vis biological environments: ontological parallels, epistemic parallax, and metaphilosophical parallelization

Theory Choice as Niche Construction: The Feedback Loop between Scientific Theories and Epistemic Values

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