Philosophy of Science after Feminism

by Janet A. Kourany

In this monograph Janet A. Kourany argues for a philosophy of science more socially engaged and socially responsible than the philosophy of science we have now. The central questions feminist scientists, philosophers, and historians have been raising about science during the last three decades form Kourany's point of departure and her response to these questions builds on their insights. This way of approaching science differs from mainstream philosophy of science in two crucial it locates science within its wider societal context rather than treating science as if it existed in a social, political, and economic vacuum; and it points the way to a more comprehensive understanding of scientific rationality, one that integrates the ethical with the epistemic. Kourany develops her particular response, dubbed by her the ideal of socially responsible science , beyond the gender-related questions and contexts that form its origins and she defends it against a variety of
challenges, epistemological, historical, sociological, economic, and political. She ends by displaying the important new directions philosophy of science can take and the impressive new roles philosophers of science can fill with the approach to science she offers.

Genres: Philosophy, Feminism, Science

161 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

Reviews

[Judd Street · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don't let the small size fool you: Kourany's "Philosophy of Science After Feminism" is a surprisingly rich, well-developed, and thoughtful book for less than 130 pages. In many ways, I think it embodies a lot of what we should strive for in academic writing. It's concise and to-the-point, letting the arguments have just enough space but no more. It also does a really nice job of being accessible (e.g., avoiding jargon, introducing key ideas and concepts rather than just assuming the reader will know) while still developing sophisticated ideas. And, each chapter builds on the previous in a clear way, meaning that there's a really nice progression every twenty pages or so... rather than feeling like the whole argument was made in chapter 1, and then we're just recapitulating it over and over.

The structure is pretty simple: The first chapter lays out the case for feminism and why it still matters in the contemporary world. The second chapter introduces the history of philosophy of science, with an eye towards understanding why it historically has not been socially engaged nor challenged the 'value free ideal' of science. The third chapter repudiates the value free ideal - as well as a series of other prospective ways of determining how science ought to behave - and offers "social responsibility" as an alternative framework. The forth deals with prospective objections to this, and the fifth makes the case for why philosophers of science are critical in doing this kind of work. It's to the point, cogent, thorough, and clear all at the same time. Chapters 3 and 4 serve as the "meat and potatoes" of the argument about how to order science. It does get a /little/ dense in this section, but is pretty approachable compared to much philosophical writing.

In short, Kourany's argument is that scientists clearly cannot escape values (RIP value free ideal), but also that the social account (a la Longino) is unsatisfactory. I largely find these arguments plausible, as do I her addressing of the critiques (e.g., academic freedom, economic output) that follow ing Chapter 4. But, the one place I am left wondering is how we deal with the evolving notion of what it means to be 'socially responsible.' While Kourany attempts to tie this to universal values (communism, disinterestedness, etc), it's hard to see how the interpretation of these values will be consistent across time and space. She signals this precisely the kind of challenge that means philosophers of science are so well positioned to contribute... but it is a vexing challenge.

In any event, a very pleasant read, a good exemplar of how philosophical writing can be, and a very useful resource for anyone interested in science, values, and 'well ordered science.'

[Joshua Stein · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kourany's Philosophy of Science After Feminism is a remarkably robust book for being only about 130 pages; the writing is clear and concise, and consists mostly of situating the contemporary discussions in feminist philosophy of science in a larger context; how do these fit into contemporary issues in science, and into the history of the philosophy of science? Kourany characterizes both very well, leaving the reader with a pretty good basic understanding of important feminist thinkers in the contemporary discussion. (e.g. Longino, Harding, etc.) The book has a largely expository tone; it isn't written for folks in the feminist philosophy of science (the literature covered in an introductory graduate course likely covers most of the material Kourany prefaces in the book) but rather for mainstream philosophers of science, as well as scientists and social scientists interested in the field.

The book doesn't assume much in the way of prior understanding; Kourany takes some time to preface things like the Vienna Circle's view of science, something that would be familiar to most philosophers of science, in order to bring less familiar readers up to speed. That said, the book is a little tricky as an introduction because there is so much material covered so quickly. I'd recommend it as an introduction to the field, with the caveat that the reader should take their time if they experience some struggling with the complexity of the book, because the material is presented at a high pace and requires some time to process and consider.

Overall, a very good and useful piece of writing, and a good thing to know is out there for future discussions of feminist philosophy of science.