The role of values in methodological controversies: The case of risk assessment

Abstract

The debate on the role of values in science has also cropped up in the applied science and, particularly, regulatory science. We propose an analysis, from the perspective of values, of the recent controversies related to the role of scientific knowledge in the regulation of technological risks. We differentiate three perspectives on cognitive and non-cognitive values in the context of assessing and managing risk. Our analysis shows that both kinds of values interact in the process of knowledge generation in regulatory science, and that proposals for methodological changes are dependent upon the explicit recognition of the operation of values. Our contribution indicates that the philosophical analysis of values can help clarify the current controversies related to technological risks.