- Question
Is objectivity in science possible?
Can science ever be truly objective? This entry sets out the two positions on the question — that objectivity in science is possible, and that it is not — weighing method and evidence against human bias and interpretation.
Position 1 of 2
Read this position →Yes, objectivity in science is possible
This position holds that science can reach objective conclusions, not because individual researchers are free of bias, but because its methods of shared procedure, measurement and public criticism are built to expose and correct that bias.
Position 2 of 2
Read this position →No, objectivity in science is not possible
This position holds that objectivity in science cannot be reached, because the choice of what to study, which methods count and how results should be read is always made by people working inside particular interests and assumptions.