Key Idea: Topic 6.3 puts science back in the world. Science isn't done in a vacuum: society funds it, steers it and is reshaped by it. So can science really be the neutral 'view from nowhere' it claims to be? This is the optional theme Philosophy of science, examined in Paper 1 Section B: a 25-mark essay, usually 'Evaluate the claim that…', with no stimulus — just a question you argue.
🌍 The three big questions, one card each
Topic 6.3 at a glance
- 6.3.1 · Is science objective and value-free? — The dream of a 'view from nowhere'. But values may be baked in — in what we study and how. Longino: objectivity isn't a lone genius being neutral; it's a diverse community criticising each other's work.
- 6.3.2 · Society shapes science — Who decides what gets studied? Big science needs big backers — governments, industry, the military — and the money steers which questions get asked and which get ignored. Science's agenda is set by society.
- 6.3.3 · Science shapes society — Discoveries reshape the world for better and worse. The dual-use problem: the same knowledge cures and kills. So do scientists carry a special responsibility for what their work makes possible?
There are two kinds of value in science. Epistemic values (accuracy, testability, consistency) belong to good method — they make science better. Non-epistemic values (political, commercial, moral) come from society. The exam question is never 'are values present?' — they always are — but which values, where, and whether they corrupt science or, as Longino argues, whether a critical community can keep them in check.
✍️ Bring it together — a Paper 1 Section B essay
Evaluate the claim that science is objective and free of social values.
Model answer plan
See the mark-by-mark plan — for / against / judgement, with marking guidance — in study mode.
Important: Describing the positions instead of arguing with them. Don't just say 'the value-free ideal says X, Longino says Y.' Give each view a reason, test it with an objection, then decide. A name earns nothing without its argument — and a top answer always reaches a reasoned conclusion, never 'it's just opinion'. Remember: Section B has no stimulus, so don't invent one — argue the claim directly.
✅ Check yourself
If you can answer these six, you have the spine of the whole topic.
What is the value-free ideal? The view that genuine science is objective and free of social values — a neutral 'view from nowhere' standing outside society.
Epistemic vs non-epistemic values? Epistemic (accuracy, testability, consistency) belong to good method. Non-epistemic (political, commercial, moral) come from society.
Longino's account of objectivity? Objectivity isn't a lone neutral genius but a diverse community openly criticising each other's assumptions — so values present needn't corrupt science.
How does society shape science? Funding and power from governments, industry and the military decide what gets studied and whose questions get asked.
What is the dual-use problem? The same knowledge can cure and kill — nuclear physics, gene editing, AI — so discoveries reshape society for better and worse.
Do scientists have special responsibility? The debate over whether those who make dangerous knowledge possible carry extra moral responsibility for how it is used.
Exam tips
- Section B is a 25-mark ESSAY on the optional theme with NO stimulus — argue the claim directly, don't invent a scenario.
- Turn the claim into a question, then argue for → argue against → weigh → conclude.
- Never argue 'are values present?' — they always are; argue WHICH values, WHERE, and whether they corrupt science.
- Always weigh at least two views and end on a reasoned conclusion, not a list of positions.