Ortmann, Jakob (2025) Performative Paternalism. [Preprint]

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Abstract

Performativity refers to the phenomenon that scientific conceptualisations can sometimes change their target systems or referents. A widely held view in the literature is that scientists ought not to deliberately deploy performative models or theories with the aim of eliciting desirable changes in their target systems. This paper has three aims. First, I cast and defend this received view as a worry about autonomy-infringing paternalism and, to that end, develop a taxonomy of the harms it can impose. Second, I consider various approaches to this worry within the extant literature and argue that these offer only unsatisfactory responses. Third, I propose two positive claims. Manipulation of target systems is (a) not inherently paternalist and can be unproblematic, and is (b) sometimes paternalist, but whenever such paternalism is inescapable, it has got to be justifiable. I generalise an example of modelling international climate change coordination to develop this point.

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Item Type:	Preprint
Creators:	Creators Email ORCID Ortmann, Jakob 0000-0002-3967-1333
Keywords:	performativity, reflexivity, values in science, politics, paternalism
Subjects:	General Issues > Science and Society General Issues > Science and Policy General Issues > Values In Science
Depositing User:	Jakob Ortmann
Date Deposited:	16 Feb 2025 13:43
Last Modified:	16 Feb 2025 13:43
Item ID:	24754
Subjects:	General Issues > Science and Society General Issues > Science and Policy General Issues > Values In Science
Date:	2025
URI:	https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/24754

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