Philosophical Essay #2
In “Addressing Problems in Profit-Driven Research,” Intemann and de Melo-Martin explore the problems of profit-driven research in science. The authors also take the stance that feminist philosophers’ accounts of objectivity in science are helpful in minimizing or preventing conflicts of interest in scientific research. They claim that standpoint feminism is best able to promote research that attends to important public needs. In this paper, I will agree with Intemann and de Melo-Martin, and argue that a feminist standpoint approach to science is best suited to address the problem that profit-driven research poses to objectivity in science. First, I will explain what profit driven research is and why it poses a problem …show more content…
New technology and medicine are often unspeakably expensive, so much so that only the rich can afford them. The poor, who often need the product the most, are deterred by excessive costs that fill the pockets of already rich researchers. Not only are products expensive, but often times this research is devoted to problems that mainly affect the rich. This is a problem because “only 10 % of worldwide expenditure on health research and development is devoted to the problems that affect primarily the poorest 90 % of the world’s population” (Intemann & de Melo-Martín, 2014).
Feminist philosophy of science deals with the effects of science on disadvantaged social groups. Feminist theories of science also seeks to explain how the exclusion of these disadvantaged groups from science has affected the practices and outcomes of science. Their accounts of objectivity are helpful in minimizing or preventing conflicts of interests such as profit driven research. Feminist philosophers of science have theorized about how to minimize biases in science. Two popular views are Harding’s feminist standpoint approach and Longino’s feminist empiricist account of …show more content…
That being said, I think that standpoint feminism does a much better job at reducing profit-driven research than feminist empiricism. This is because feminist empiricism allows for the participation of scientists whose interests are profitably motivated, and they have equal authority to scientists whose interests are socially responsive. This may reduce some of the profit driven research, but it does not ensure it. However, standpoint feminism is aimed at how research will affect those that are disadvantaged. This viewpoint conflicts profit driven research because the needs of the disadvantaged are valued more and represent the needs of the public in this theory. However, in profit driven research, the needs of these groups are often neglected. Standpoint feminism is much more objective and does a good job at reducing or eliminating research that is profit
In “Addressing Problems in Profit-Driven Research,” Intemann and de Melo-Martin explore the problems of profit-driven research in science. The authors also take the stance that feminist philosophers’ accounts of objectivity in science are helpful in minimizing or preventing conflicts of interest in scientific research. They claim that standpoint feminism is best able to promote research that attends to important public needs. In this paper, I will agree with Intemann and de Melo-Martin, and argue that a feminist standpoint approach to science is best suited to address the problem that profit-driven research poses to objectivity in science. First, I will explain what profit driven research is and why it poses a problem …show more content…
New technology and medicine are often unspeakably expensive, so much so that only the rich can afford them. The poor, who often need the product the most, are deterred by excessive costs that fill the pockets of already rich researchers. Not only are products expensive, but often times this research is devoted to problems that mainly affect the rich. This is a problem because “only 10 % of worldwide expenditure on health research and development is devoted to the problems that affect primarily the poorest 90 % of the world’s population” (Intemann & de Melo-Martín, 2014).
Feminist philosophy of science deals with the effects of science on disadvantaged social groups. Feminist theories of science also seeks to explain how the exclusion of these disadvantaged groups from science has affected the practices and outcomes of science. Their accounts of objectivity are helpful in minimizing or preventing conflicts of interests such as profit driven research. Feminist philosophers of science have theorized about how to minimize biases in science. Two popular views are Harding’s feminist standpoint approach and Longino’s feminist empiricist account of …show more content…
That being said, I think that standpoint feminism does a much better job at reducing profit-driven research than feminist empiricism. This is because feminist empiricism allows for the participation of scientists whose interests are profitably motivated, and they have equal authority to scientists whose interests are socially responsive. This may reduce some of the profit driven research, but it does not ensure it. However, standpoint feminism is aimed at how research will affect those that are disadvantaged. This viewpoint conflicts profit driven research because the needs of the disadvantaged are valued more and represent the needs of the public in this theory. However, in profit driven research, the needs of these groups are often neglected. Standpoint feminism is much more objective and does a good job at reducing or eliminating research that is profit