Values and Uncertainty in Simulation Models.

In this paper I argue for a distinction between subjective and value laden aspects of judgements showing why equating the former with the latter has the potential to confuse matters when the goal is uncovering the influence of political influences on scientific practice. I will focus on three separa...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Publicado en:Erkenntnis Vol. 79; pp. 939 - 960
Autor principal: Morrison, Margaret
Formato: Artículo
Publicado: Springer Nature Jun2014 Supplement
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Acceso en línea:Ver este registro en EBSCOhost
Descripción
Sumario:In this paper I argue for a distinction between subjective and value laden aspects of judgements showing why equating the former with the latter has the potential to confuse matters when the goal is uncovering the influence of political influences on scientific practice. I will focus on three separate but interrelated issues. The first concerns the issue of 'verification' in computational modelling. This is a practice that involves a number of formal techniques but as I show, even these allegedly objective methods ultimately rely on subjective estimation and evaluation of different types of parameters. This has implications for my second point which relates to uncertainty quantification-an assessment of the degree of uncertainty present in a particular modelling scenario. I argue that while this practice also involves subjective elements, in no way does that detract from its status as an epistemic exercise. Finally I discuss the relation between accuracy and uncertainty and how each relates to judgements that embody social/ethical/political concerns, in particular those associated with high consequence systems.