ABSTRACT
Given the global scope of research today, including the massive outsourcing and offshoring of many aspects of the research process, commercial interests have a direct influence on the type of research performed and the products obtained worldwide, which does not always align with the epistemic and social necessities of local communities. The aim of this chapter is twofold. First, I present an overview of the current philosophical debates regarding the commercialization of science, especially concerning the epistemic and social challenges that emerge with privatization. Second, I analyze the further impacts of such commercialization at the global scale, highlighting the consequences for scientists and communities in the Global South, particularly in Latin America and the Caribbean. I use clinical research driven by the pharmaceutical industry as an example. I first show cases in which the pharmaceutical industry has privileged commercial goals over epistemic and social goals to the detriment of the latter. I then show cases in which clinical research sponsored by the pharmaceutical industry has further implications for scientists working and people living in the Global South. I conclude by highlighting the few works in philosophy of science that focus on the topic and suggest how we could better contribute.
