Notes on Science as an Approach to Questions of Value and Objective Fact

Key concepts and framing

  • Science is an approach for answering questions, but not suitable for all questions.
  • It is the superior method for resolving objective fact questions (what exists, relationships, factual claims).
  • It is limited and cannot answer questions of value (worth, right/wrong, desirability).
  • Other methods (e.g., moral philosophy, religion) are better suited for value-based questions.
Misattributing Authority
  • Scientists lack special training for value questions; non-scientists often lack expertise for factual claims.
  • Always assess if the person speaking is using the right method for the question and staying within their domain of expertise.
Science and Values
  • Science provides facts that can inform value judgments (e.g., empirical claims about abortion's association with trauma).
  • However, science does not determine what "ought" to be done or what is morally correct. Legal or ethical value questions remain separate.
Responsible Use and Media Literacy
  • Distinguish between claims addressing facts and claims addressing values.
  • Question scientists speaking on values or non-scientists speaking on facts, as this may indicate a misalignment of expertise or potential deception.

Key definitions

  • Value questions: Concerns worth, ethics, desirability.
  • Objective fact questions: Concerns existence, reality, factual relationships.
  • "Stay in your lane": Applying appropriate methods and expertise to different question types.

Examples

  • Objective fact questions: Investigating the existence of Bigfoot or a global flood, or determining relationships between variables (e.g., behavior and performance).
  • Abortion debate: Science can test empirical claims (e.g., trauma association) to inform, but not dictate, value judgments.

Practical Implications

  • Before selecting an approach or expert, clearly distinguish between fact and value questions.
  • Use empirical evidence to inform, not to dictate, value-based conclusions.

Preview of Next Lecture

  • Future content will explore the foundational philosophical assumptions underpinning science, defining both its power and its inherent limits.