This analysis critiques the idea that quantification must align with stakeholder values, highlighting implications for epistemic and political legitimacy.
There is a growing consensus among philosophers that quantifying value-laden concepts can be epistemically successful and politically legitimate if all value-laden choices in the process of quantification are aligned with stakeholder values. I argue that proponents of this view have failed to argue for its basic premise: successful quantification is sufficiently unconstrained to be achievable along multiple, stakeholder-specific pathways. I then challenge this premise by considering a rare example of successful value-laden quantification in seismology. Seismologists quantified earthquake size precisely by excluding stakeholder values from measure design and testing.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Miguel Ohnesorge (2025) studied this question.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: