Feminist philosophy of science is a branch
of feminist philosophy that seeks to understand
how the acquirement of knowledge through scientific
means has been influenced by notions of gender
and gender roles in society.
Feminist philosophers of science question
how scientific research and scientific knowledge
itself may be influenced and possibly compromised
by the social and professional framework within
which that research and knowledge is established
and exists.
It has been described as being located "at
the intersections of the philosophy of science
and feminist science scholarship", and has
attracted considerable attention since the
1970s.
Feminist epistemology often emphasizes "situated
knowledge" that hinges on one's individual
perspectives on a subject.
Feminist philosophers often highlight the
under-representation of female scientists
in academia and the possibility that science
currently has androcentric biases.
Scientific theory has been accused of being
more compatible with male cognitive styles
and reasoning.
Feminist epistemology suggests that integrating
feminine modes of thought and logic that are
undervalued by current scientific theory will
enable improvement and broadening of scientific
perspectives.
Advocates assert that it may be guide in creating
a philosophy of science that is more accessible
to public.
Practitioners of feminist philosophy of science
also seek to promote gender equality in scientific
fields and greater recognition of the achievements
of female scientists.
Critics have argued that the political commitments
of advocates of feminist philosophy of science
is incompatible with modern-day scientific
objectivity, emphasizing the success of the
scientific method due to its lauded objectivity
and "value-free" methods of knowledge-making.
== 
History ==
The feminist Philosophy of science was born
out of feminist science studies in the 1960s.
It would however be the 1980s before Feminist
Philosophy of Science would develop its own
unique identity.
One of the first and most important publications
released was from a women’s academic journal
called “Signs” with a piece titled: “Women,
Science, and Society” This piece was published
in August 1978 by Catherine Stimpson and Joan
Burstyn.
"This first collection of what today would
be recognizable as "feminist science studies"
featured scholarship in three areas: critiques
of gender bias in science, history of women
in science, and social science data and public
policy considerations on the status of women
in the science".
These three topics have remained prominent
issues in feminist science studies of modern
day.
Feminist science studies had become more philosophical
and more ambitious by the 1980s and even pursued
to redefine the core epistemological concepts.
The reason for this shift in feminist science
studies was due to a corresponding shift in
many fields of academic feminism.
This shift led to a parting of ways between
scholarship on “women in science” and
“feminist critiques of science”.
This was documented by feminist scholars Helen
Longino and Evelynn Hammonds in their 1990
book Conflicts and Tensions in the Feminist
Study of Gender and Science.
By the late nineties, feminist science studies
had become well-established and had many prominent
scholars within its field of study.
Philosopher John Searle characterized feminism
in 1993 as a “cause to be advanced” more
so than a “domain to be studied”.
== Feminist philosophy of science ==
=== 
Objectivity and values ===
Some have questioned the objectivity of Feminist
Philosophy of Science.
Feminists however argue that rather than undermine
objectivity, incorporating feminist values
could help create more robust and sophisticated
research methods which in turn may well produce
better results.
=== Standpoint and knowledge ===
Feminist Philosophy of Science has traditionally
been highly critical of the lack of access
and opportunities for women in science and
believe science can, and has been "distorted
by sexist values" Sharon Crasnow highlights
how the "exclusion of women as researchers
and subjects" in scientific research, studies
and projects can lead to incomplete methods
and methodologies and ultimately unreliable
or inaccurate results.
Some feminist philosophies of science question
whether science can lay claim to "impartiality,
neutrality, autonomy, and indifference to
political positions and the values" when the
"neutral" position is benchmarked against
the values held by one culture, i.e. western
patriarchy, among the multitude of cultures
participating in modern science.
Relating to Objectivity, epistemology can
give a fuller understanding of the nature
of scientific knowledge.
Feminist epistemology is one of a group of
approaches in science studies that urges us
to recognize the role of the social in the
production of knowledge.
Feminist epistemology directs people to consider
features of themselves and culture as beings
of knowledge that had been outside what was
considered appropriate.
The goals of researchers and the values that
shape the choice of goals are relevant to
the knowledge we arrive at.
This has implications both for how we train
scientists and for how we educate everyone
about science.
If science is seen as more connected to application,
more related to human needs and desires, traditionally
underrepresented groups will have greater
motivation to succeed and persist in their
science courses or pursue scientific careers.
Motivation will be greater as members of underrepresented
groups see how science can produce knowledge
that has value to their concerns in ways that
are consistent with good scientific methodology.
Feminist epistemology urges a continued exploration
of science in this way and so has much to
offer science education.
=== Challenges and contributions ===
One of the major challenges facing feminist
philosophers of science lies in convincing
some skeptics in the fields of philosophy
and science that Feminist Philosophy of Science
is in fact a legitimate and objective field
of academic research and study rather than
an agenda driven ideology.
Dr. Richardson points out that those who level
this accusation at Feminist Philosophy of
Science completely misunderstand its motivations
and ambitions.
Richardson describes how many feminist philosophers
of science are involved in "ambitious constructive
projects to build a better science".
Case studies have played a major role in furthering
and advancing feminist philosophy of science.
For example, a study conducted by Lloyd in
2005 on the function female orgasm.
She explores how evolutionary biologists made
false assumptions as to the function of the
female orgasm.
They believed that it must have reproductive
purpose in females simply because it does
in males.
They went as far as to ignore clear evidence
as it went against their initial beliefs.
This critique caused extensive debate as it
attacked the core beliefs held by evolutionary
biologists.
Work like this has and is currently being
conducted by feminist philosophers of science
as they challenge traditional philosophical
questions such as pluralism, objectivity and
background assumptions.
One of the greatest challenges faced by female
philosophers is marginalization within the
academic field of philosophy according to
Dr. Richardson.
They face exclusion in scientific fields and
are marginalized and vastly unrepresented
similarly to minorities in the field of philosophy.
Their critiques of many topics such as gender
bias are often changed, distorted and ineffectively
translated by scientists and therefore by
the general public
