ABSTRACT

This chapter discusses the ethical implications of scientific imperialism by focusing on some examples and then explores more general considerations. It also discusses the example of economic reasoning applied to domains of love and caring, and the example of economic reasoning applied to domains of sexuality. The chapter explores various ways of characterizing economics explicate the sense in which the examples fit John Dupre's original formulation. It explains the theoretical connection between the mere expansion into a new domain and the ethical implications that result. With respect to assessment, the chapter suggests that negative aspects of economics imperialism can go beyond disciplinary matters and may concern large-scale sociocultural implications. With respect to epistemic disvalue, it argues that knowing what counts as a successful explanation can be a contextually sensitive and difficult matter. The chapter also argues that there is a way to articulate the ethical disvalue of some economics imperialism without appeal to value pluralism.