A Sociological Theory of Objectivity

Royal Institute of Philosophy Lecture Series 17:229-245 (1984)
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Abstract

I want to propose to you a theory about the nature of objectivity—a theory which will tell us something about its causes, its intrinsic character, and its sources of variation. The theory in question is very simple. Indeed, it is so simple that I fear you will reject it out of hand. Here is the theory: it is thatobjectivity is social. What I mean by saying that objectivity is social is that theimpersonalandstablecharacter that attaches to some of our beliefs, and the sense of reality that attaches to their reference, derives from these beliefs beingsocial institutions.

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Citations of this work

Objective Styles in Northern Field Science.Jeff Kochan - 2015 - Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part A 52:1-12.
Objectivity for these times.Thomas F. Gieryn - 1994 - Perspectives on Science 2 (3):324-349.

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References found in this work

Philosophical investigations.Ludwig Wittgenstein & G. E. M. Anscombe - 1953 - Revue Philosophique de la France Et de l'Etranger 161:124-124.
Objective Knowledge.K. R. Popper - 1972 - Journal for General Philosophy of Science / Zeitschrift für Allgemeine Wissenschaftstheorie 4 (2):388-398.
The Runabout Inference-Ticket.A. N. Prior - 1960 - Analysis 21 (2):38-39.
The runabout inference ticket.Arthur Prior - 1967 - In P. F. Strawson (ed.), Philosophical logic. London,: Oxford University Press. pp. 38-9.

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