Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id OAA07303 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Tue, 27 Mar 2001 14:54:51 +0100 Message-ID: <2D1C159B783DD211808A006008062D3101745D23@inchna.stir.ac.uk> From: Vincent Campbell <v.p.campbell@stir.ac.uk> To: "'memetics@mmu.ac.uk'" <memetics@mmu.ac.uk> Subject: RE: The Demise of a Meme Date: Tue, 27 Mar 2001 14:51:39 +0100 X-Mailer: Internet Mail Service (5.5.2650.21) Content-Type: text/plain Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
<Science is, indeed, value free. That's why we need something other
than
> science to help us handle values.>
>
But isn't that the point? You can't test the validity of values
with a value-laden methdology, that's why you need science.
<This is about "could", not "should". I claim you can't derive
values
> from science. Regardless of the desireability of deriving them from
> anything else. Now show me how you can.>
>
Well, I'm not sure that one necessarily derives values from science,
but you can test the validity of values using it, e.g. the validity of
racism. That's not to say that racists will accept scientific explanations
that undermine their views, but surely their views have less credibility as
a result. Hence whatever's left in terms of our values towards issues of
race should become dominant. At one level this is idealism, at another its
the political reality where several countries have racial abuse as civil
rights abuses and thus crimes. People are still racist, but as a society we
collectively acknowledge such views as illegitimate.
<It can resolve disputes about facts, not those about values.>
Which values are not based on facts people (think they) know?
Vincent
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