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(2004) Synthese 138 (3).
The bias paradox emerges out of a tension between objectivism and relativism.If one rejects a certain the conception objectivity as absolute impartiality and value-neutrality (i.e., if all views are biased), how, then, can one hold that some epistemic perspectives are better than others? This is a problem that has been most explicitly dealt with in feminist epistemology, but it is not unique to feminist perspectives. In this paper, I wish to clearly lay out the nature of the paradox and the various attempts to avoid it. I also intend to show why it is a problem for any epistemological view that rejects absolute objectivity. Finally, I wish to briefly outline a possible solution to the paradox, a solution that requires recognizing that rationality necessarily requires both objective and subjective elements.
Publication details
DOI: 10.1023/B:SYNT.0000016424.47883.b9
Full citation:
Heikes, D. K. (2004). The bias paradox: why it's not just for feminists anymore. Synthese 138 (3), pp. 315-335.
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