Abstract
This paper relates discussions of scientific ontology to debates about the value-ladenness of science. First, I distinguish three types of pluralism about kinds and argue that none of them threatens realism. Then I argue that pluralist realism about kinds has implications for the debate about the role of non-epistemic values in science. Pluralist realists hold that there are more kinds than we will ever have the resources to focus on. Hence, while epistemic values are responsible for identifying kinds, non-epistemic values can play a role in deciding which ones to focus on in scientific theory and practice.
