Document Type : Theoretical Paper
Authors
1
PhD Candidate in Futures Studies, Department of Futures Studies, Faculty of Social Sciences, Imam Khomeini International University, Qazvin, Iran
2
Assistant Professor of Industrial Management, Faculty of Social Sciences, Imam Khomeini International University, Qazvin, Iran
3
Professor of Industrial Management, Faculty of Social Sciences, Imam Khomeini International University, Qazvin, Iran
4
Associate Professor of Futures Studies, Faculty of Social Sciences, Imam Khomeini International University, Qazvin, Iran
Abstract
In recent decades, philosophers of science have focused on how science is influenced and structured by values. This view stands in contrast to the ideal of "value-free science," which views the intrinsic involvement of non-cognitive values in scientific practice as destructive. However, today, there are many criticisms of this ideal, and it is referred to as a "bad ideal." It is now widely accepted that values and value judgments are involved in various ways of scientific practice—from selecting research projects to evaluating and accepting scientific results. This issue holds even greater importance in futures studies as a value-laden science, given its humanistic and interdisciplinary/transdisciplinary nature, which seeks to shape and construct the future. Accordingly, this article examines the role and influence of values in futures studies to clarify which forms of value involvement are legitimate and which are not. To address this question, two approaches are adopted: first, proposing a typology of values based on their goals, and second, distinguishing between the direct and indirect roles of values. Then, an attempt is made to adapt these approaches to the futures studies literature. Finally, we argue that considering these aspects can provide futurists with a framework for understanding the role and structure of values, potentially enhancing the quality, credibility, and authority of futures studies.
Keywords: desert, merit, entrepreneurship, duoethnography
In recent decades, philosophers of science have focused on how science is influenced and structured by values. This view stands in contrast to the ideal of "value-free science," which views the intrinsic involvement of non-cognitive values in scientific practice as destructive. However, today, there are many criticisms of this ideal, and it is referred to as a "bad ideal." It is now widely accepted that values and value judgments are involved in various ways of scientific practice—from selecting research projects to evaluating and accepting scientific results. This issue holds even greater importance in futures studies as a value-laden science, given its humanistic and interdisciplinary/transdisciplinary nature, which seeks to shape and construct the future. Accordingly, this article examines the role and influence of values in futures studies to clarify which forms of value involvement are legitimate and which are not. To address this question, two approaches are adopted: first, proposing a typology of values based on their goals, and second, distinguishing between the direct and indirect roles of values. Then, an attempt is made to adapt these approaches to the futures studies literature. Finally, we argue that considering these aspects can provide futurists with a framework for understanding the role and structure of values, potentially enhancing the quality, credibility, and authority of futures studies.
Keywords
Subjects
