Hilligardt, Hannah (2025) Strategic communication by scientists: the case of climate tipping points. [Preprint]

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Abstract

Strategic communication by scientists has sparked debate among researchers, philosophers, and the
broader public. This article firstly presents a case study for such phenomenon, namely framing choices
in research and communication on climate tipping points. It then reviews normative arguments for and
against such strategic communication by scientists within the tipping point discourse itself and in
philosophy of science. I argue that these arguments answer to mainly three concerns: (1) concerns
about the legitimacy of practical aims guiding scientific research and communication, (2) the ethical
implications of specific communicative strategies, and (3) the likelihood of either desired effects or
unintended effects to actualise. While these concerns help explain why strategic communication is
viewed critically by some, the article argues that reasonable disagreement can exist both about the
concerns themselves and about their relevance to specific cases.

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Item Type:	Preprint
Creators:	Creators Email ORCID Hilligardt, Hannah hannah.hilligardt@unibe.ch 0000-0002-1057-7386
Keywords:	Tipping points; Values in science; Ethics of science communication; philosophy of climate science
Subjects:	Specific Sciences > Climate Science and Meteorology General Issues > Rhetoric of Science General Issues > Science and Policy General Issues > Values In Science
Depositing User:	Dr. des. Hannah Hilligardt
Date Deposited:	03 Nov 2025 11:51
Last Modified:	03 Nov 2025 11:51
Item ID:	27103
Subjects:	Specific Sciences > Climate Science and Meteorology General Issues > Rhetoric of Science General Issues > Science and Policy General Issues > Values In Science
Date:	2025
URI:	https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/27103

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