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Trustworthiness in explanation: the obligation to explain well
1University of Colorado, Boulder, Department of Philosophy, CB 232/Hellems Hall, Boulder, CO 80309, USA. Brindell@Colorado.edu
Science and Engineering Ethics
|March 29, 2001
Summary
Scientific integrity extends beyond data accuracy to include trust-based moral criteria. These criteria ensure explanations are relevant, preventing triviality and upholding robust scientific practice.
Area of Science:
- Philosophy of Science
- Epistemology
- Scientific Ethics
Background:
- Scientific integrity traditionally emphasizes data and reference accuracy.
- Existing pragmatic theories of scientific explanation face the 'problem of relevance'.
- This problem highlights the difficulty in ensuring technical paradigmatic explanations are relevant to the posed question.
Purpose of the Study:
- To broaden the concept of scientific integrity.
- To explore the role of moral criteria in scientific explanation.
- To address the 'problem of relevance' in scientific explanation theory.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of the theory of scientific explanation.
- Viewing explanation-seeking questions as requests for epistemic help.
- Identification of moral criteria inherent in explanation-seeking.
Main Results:
- Formal, metaphysical constraints are not necessary to solve the problem of relevance.
- Explanation-seeking questions reveal inherent moral criteria centered in trust.
- Satisfying these moral criteria prevents trivial or irrelevant explanations.
Conclusions:
- Scientific integrity encompasses more than just data and references; it includes trust and relevance.
- Moral criteria, particularly trust, are crucial for ensuring meaningful scientific explanations.
- A trust-based framework broadens the understanding and application of scientific integrity.