The irreducibility of value-freedom to theory assessment

Bueter, Anke

doi:10.1016/j.shpsa.2014.10.006

Cited by 29 publications

(23 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…The role that values play in the process of generating new knowledge is a perennial question, particularly in the sciences. Philosophers have debated the importance of epistemic values, such as internal consistency, falsifiability, generalisability of a particular theory, and notions of scientific objectivity (Laudan, 1968;Bueter, 2015). These values shape the veracity of scientific statements, aiming to establish broader ontological or causal claims about the nature of specific systems.…”

Section: The Evolution Of Value and Power Paradigmsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Decolonial AI: Decolonial Theory as Sociotechnical Foresight in Artificial Intelligence

2020

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This paper explores the important role of critical science, and in particular of post-colonial and decolonial theories, in understanding and shaping the ongoing advances in artificial intelligence. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is viewed as amongst the technological advances that will reshape modern societies and their relations. Whilst the design and deployment of systems that continually adapt holds the promise of far-reaching positive change, they simultaneously pose significant risks, especially to already vulnerable peoples. Values and power are central to this discussion. Decolonial theories use historical hindsight to explain patterns of power that shape our intellectual, political, economic, and social world. By embedding a decolonial critical approach within its technical practice, AI communities can develop foresight and tactics that can better align research and technology development with established ethical principles, centring vulnerable peoples who continue to bear the brunt of negative impacts of innovation and scientific progress. We highlight problematic applications that are instances of coloniality, and using a decolonial lens, submit three tactics that can form a decolonial field of artificial intelligence: creating a critical technical practice of AI, seeking reverse tutelage and reverse pedagogies, and the renewal of affective and political communities. The years ahead will usher in a wave of new scientific breakthroughs and technologies driven by AI research, making it incumbent upon AI communities to strengthen the social contract through ethical foresight and the multiplicity of intellectual perspectives available to us; ultimately supporting future technologies that enable greater well-being, with the goal of beneficence and justice for all. Keywords decolonisation • coloniality • sociotechnical foresight • intercultural ethics • critical technical practice • artificial intelligence • affective community

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Section: The Evolution Of Value and Power Paradigmsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Decolonial AI: Decolonial Theory as Sociotechnical Foresight in Artificial Intelligence

2020

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“…Elliott and McKaughan 2014;Büter 2015). There are at least four common arguments that are directed against VFI in this more narrow sense.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ontological Choices and the Value-Free Ideal

Ludwig

2015

Erkenn

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The aim of this article is to argue that ontological choices in scientific practice undermine common formulations of the value-free ideal in science. First, I argue that the truth values of scientific statements depend on ontological choices. For example, statements about entities such as species, race, memory, intelligence, depression, or obesity are true or false relative to the choice of a biological, psychological, or medical ontology. Second, I show that ontological choices often depend on non-epistemic values. On the basis of these premises, I argue that it is often neither possible nor desirable to evaluate scientific statements independently of non-epistemic values. Finally, I suggest that considerations of ontological choices do not only challenge the value-free ideal but also help to specify positive roles of non-epistemic values in an often neglected area of scientific practice.

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“…Even if we grant that the distinction between the contexts of discovery and justification matters, it is important to note that it has been substantially challenged during the last few decades. Many philosophers of science have challenged the distinction by showing that the purported epistemic independence of the context of justification from the context of discovery cannot be maintained in practice (Okruhlik, 1994;Brigandt, 2015;Bueter, 2015;Elliott & Mckaughan, 2016). According to Katheleen Okruhlik (1994), non-epistemic factors influencing decisions in the context of discovery have a significant impact on theory appraisal and the content of science by limiting the pool of available theories.…”

Section: The Context Distinction Objectionmentioning

confidence: 99%

How non-epistemic values can be epistemically beneficial in scientific classification

Ahn

2020

Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part A

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The irreducibility of value-freedom to theory assessment

Cited by 29 publications

References 22 publications

Decolonial AI: Decolonial Theory as Sociotechnical Foresight in Artificial Intelligence

Decolonial AI: Decolonial Theory as Sociotechnical Foresight in Artificial Intelligence

Ontological Choices and the Value-Free Ideal

How non-epistemic values can be epistemically beneficial in scientific classification

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