Ethics, Values and Science

Science has a fraught relationship with values. Indeed, claims to the objectivity of science are still often heard. Taking the well-known Tuskegee study as a starting point, this chapter makes explicit the science, to be worthwhile and good science, not only can’t be value-free, but shouldn’t aim to be so. This leads into a discussion on various forms of values, namely sociocultural values, economic values and ethical values. Given the centrality of ethics to this book, special attention is given to ethical values, including a discussion on how different ways to apply ethics.