Against the Value-free Ideal in Science

Reviving the Ontological Choices Argument

Abstract

The present paper aims at reviving a recent critique that has been neglected in the general discussion regarding values in science. The Ontological Choices Argument (OCA) proposed by David Ludwig (2016) claims for a rejection of the Value-Free Ideal (VFI). In a nutshell: since the truth of scientific statements is dependent on the ontological choice made, and this, in turn, is dependent on non-epistemic values, then these kinds of values are an integral part of scientific practice (Sect. 1.1). For the ontological level could be beneficial for scientific practice. At the same time, this will open up the possibility to reconsider the map of knowledge fields as it has been built so far. Multidisciplinarity and inclusion will be proposed as the keys to get rid of the soft/hard distinction among the sciences and overcome the concept of epistemic purity.