Soohyun Ahn

(Image description: I am long, black-haired wearing a black, dotted dress and an ivoly-colored cardigan. Two white lines around my neck are a name tag. I am standing next to a banner with the image of Greek philosophers. The partial phrase in the banner says "Faculty of Arts.")

Welcome to my website!
I am a Ph.D. candidate in Philosophy at the University of Calgary, working in the philosophy of science under the supervision of Dr. Marc Ereshefsky.
 
My research centers on the epistemic justification of non-epistemic values (e.g., social and moral values) in scientific classification. Although the ideal of value-free science has been extensively criticized, it finds a haven in scientific classification, especially in the discussion of natural kinds.

Using case studies, I demonstrate that some non-epistemic values are not only ineliminable from classificatory practices, but more importantly, they contribute to establishing and maintaining scientific categories.

By bridging two strands of literature – the literature on values and science and the literature on scientific classification, I challenge the value-free ideal in scientific classification and seek ways to fruitfully incorporate values in classification.   

You can learn more about me in this interview.