Hume’s “law” and the ideal of value‑free science

Authors

  • Pierluigi Barrotta University of Pisa

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.4454/philinq.v4i2.123

Keywords:

value‑free science, is‑ought question, Poincaré, syllogistic, enthymeme

Abstract

There is wide belief that Hume’s “law” supports the ideal of value‑free science. Hume’s “law” claims that value judgments cannot logically be derived from purely factual premises. Scientific investigations are concerned with facts and in no way can scientists reach value judgments. In this paper I shall argue that Hume’s “law” cannot support the ideal of value‑free science. I pinpoint two possible uses of the “law” in defense of the ideal, neither of which is satisfactory. The first use makes the “law” prescriptively empty. The second use leads us in a vicious circle. Furthermore, I shall argue that Hume’s “law” blinds us to the reason as to why at times scientists are wrong to derive value judgments from their empirical investigations. In this sense, Hume’s “law” blocks scientific investigations.

Author Biography

Pierluigi Barrotta, University of Pisa

Full Professor of Philosophy of Science

Dept. of Civilization and Forms of Knowldege
University of Pisa

Downloads

Published

2016-07-29

Issue

Vol. 4 No. 2 (2016)

Section

Essays

License

– Authors are allowed to upload their papers immediately after publication on reserved access institutional repositories or archives required for research metrics and evaluation. Authors ought to include publication references (journal title, volume, issue and pages, article DOI when available, URL to journal website or journal issue).

Issue files are only available for download by subscription for 18  months from the date of publication. After the embargo period, the content becomes open access and is subject to the Creative Commons Generic Licence version 4.0 (cc. By 4.0). Copyright in individual articles passes to the publisher on the date of publication of the article and reverts to the authors at the end of the embargo period.

If the author wishes to request immediate Open Access publication of his/her contribution, without waiting for the end of the embargo period, a fee of EUR 500.00 will be charged. To make this type of request, please contact our administrative office (amministrazione@edizioniets.com) and the journal manager (journals@edizioniets.com), indicating: the title of the article, the details of the file to which it belongs, the details of the person to whom the invoice should be addressed, the existence of any research funding.