Abstract
Recently the topic of values in science has been extremely important in the philosophy of science. Initially, the debates were over whether and what sorts of values are present in the sciences. For example, are they epistemic or non-epistemic? However, if one grants non-epistemic values find their way into scientific practice, then what role should they play? For example, given the problem of inductive risk, are non-epistemic values inescapable? Ecology and conservation biology are especially relevant for these debates since they have always stood in the breach between “pure” and “applied” concerns. Early conservation biologists such as Michael Soulé argued that it is a “crisis science” inherently laden with ethical values (1985). Though subsequent debates have challenged Soulé over his advocacy for certain values, critics have granted that conservation biology is value-laden (Karieva and Marvier 2012). In this session, we explore the role of values in ecology and conservation biology.
