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GC Social Science Role of Politics and Ethics Discussion

 

I’m stuck on a Social Science question and need an explanation.

For this coming week, let’s expand on our ongoing reflections concerning objectivity and the role of politics and ethics vis-à-vis science, technology, and medicine:

What, if anything might it mean to study inherently political subject matter in an objective fashion?

Is this possible? Is this/should this be a goal? Or, is it rather the case that attempting to keep political discussions distinct from certain scientific, technological, and medical discussions is not/should not be the goal?

Can we think of examples – subjects, research areas, research questions, applications of research – where drawing or maintaining strict demarcations between political and/or ethical concerns on the one hand, and objective scientific, technological, and/or medical concerns is very important?

Can we think of examples – subjects, research areas, research questions, applications of research – where drawing or maintaining strict demarcations between political and/or ethical concerns on the one hand, and objective scientific, technological, and/or medical concerns is difficult or unwanted?

Put slightly differently: Are there any objective research questions or practices that are simultaneously inherently political or ethical in character? Or do political/ethical concerns always detract from objective knowledge?