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Technological Neutrality and the Changing Normative Context of Applied Science Research

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Book cover New Directions in the Philosophy of Technology

Part of the book series: Philosophy and Technology ((PHTE,volume 11))

Abstract

A popular notion or common picture of applied science sees it as putting basic science to work in solving the world’s problems. In this view, while the basic sciences enjoy considerable independence in pursuing research goals that come from the scientist’s own discipline and research interests, the ultimate research goals of applied science come from outside of science and the applied scientist can only choose which of those problems to work on and what means of solution to apply to them. • .

Revised from “The Vicissitudes of the Technological Neutrality Thesis in Agriculture,” a paper presented at the Sixth Biennial Meetings of the Society for Philosophy and Technology (1991) and published in a preliminary version in Pitt and Lugo 1991

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Shepard, P.T. (1995). Technological Neutrality and the Changing Normative Context of Applied Science Research. In: Pitt, J.C. (eds) New Directions in the Philosophy of Technology. Philosophy and Technology, vol 11. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-015-8418-0_10

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-015-8418-0_10

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-90-481-4603-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-015-8418-0

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